You’re probably here because you enjoy (read: crave) the taste and texture of a traditional granola bar. All you need to do now you is remove the non-vegan version from your life and replace it with a more animal-friendly substitute.
Simple enough right?
I’m sad to say that when I was researching the market for a tasty vegan granola bar I had discovered there wasn’t many (if any at all).
Most granola bars that define themselves as the healthiest and ‘vegan’ are in fact riddled with honey or yogurt toppings (not good!). Even glancing at Peta’s granola bar list, they’ve stretched the definition of what granola bars are.
So in this article, I’m going to provide you with my favorite bars that are great alternatives. So when reading below, just be mindful that the term ‘granola bar’ refers to fruit, nut and seed bar and might not necessarily contain granola itself.
Without further or due, let’s take a look at some of the best vegan ‘granola’ bar options – each brand unique from the others.
More Reading: For a more traditional breakfast staple, read our article on the top vegan breakfast cereals.
List of the Top 5 Vegan ‘Granola’ Bars
Health Warrior Chia Bars
Health Warrior not only claims to be a food brand but also a social movement. Through their belief that better health will create a foundation for a better society, their mission is to inspire healthy diet and exercise habits, fueling motivation and inspiration through their powerful superfoods packed within their products.
Their healthy Chia Bars contain no more than 100 calories, to ensure you get enough energy without the bad stuff, and each bar’s main ingredient is chia seeds, a superfood stocked with healthy omega fats.
These vegan ‘granola’ bars come in a variety of flavors including Acai Berry, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coconut, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Cherry, Mango and Vanilla Almond.
What We Love
Sometime, as you will see further down this list, even though these health bars are vegan and gluten-free they can be still packed with a ton of sugar and sweeteners. These small but powerful Chia bars ensure that in each serving there is no more than 5 g of sugar!
The product uses Brown Rice Syrup and Agave Syrup, which are sweeteners that are processed less in comparison to high fructose corn syrup. These vegan ‘granola’ bars are perfect for anyone who is on a sugar restrictive diet.
The bars are also soy-free and gluten-free, so they’re suitable for a wide range of people. Depending on what flavor you much on, the bars can either have a subtle and soft flavor, such as the Coconut and Vanilla Almond varieties or a more overpowering and rich flavor, experienced in the Dark Chocolate Cherry and Chocolate Peanut Butter options.
What We Didn’t Like
Some consumers have complained about the size of the Chia Bars, stating that they should be renamed to Chia Bites as they are smaller than an average person’s palm. Some reviewers complain that they are not worth the money of their size.
Go Raw Organic Sprouted Bars
Go Raw explains that there are many benefits in following a raw based diet as the process of cooking can destroy much of the enzymes and nutrients in food. By maintaining their snacks raw and only gently dried, not cooked, powerful nutrients can remain within, giving a powerful boost to the consumer.
A raw diet is rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, dietary fiber, and nutrients. Their Sprouted Bars offer five simple varieties which are Banana Bread, Raisin Crunch, Pumpkin Seed, Chewy Apricot and Sweet Spirulina.
What We Love
Go Raw Sprouted Bars tick all the boxes. They are organic, gluten-free, soy-free and are low in sugar. Furthermore, there are no added sweeteners to these bars. As the Sprouted Bars are raw, the only sugar used is that of the fruit that is added such as dates, raisins, and bananas.
We also love the fact that Go Raw sprouts seeds before using them in their products. By sprouting they unlock and preserve more powerful nutrients and this process also multiplies available proteins, enzymes, and minerals, making food easier to digest and allowing the nutrients and minerals to be better absorbed by the body.
Also, consumers have said that these Sprouted Bars are sold at a reasonable price, and you get a lot for your money.
What We Didn’t Like
Some consumers have commentated that their Sprouted Bars have arrived stale while others have complained that the bars are too hard to consume in the first place. So the product not might be suitable for people with sensitive teeth or the elderly.
Larabar Fruit & Nut Food Bar
Larabar’s mantra is simplicity. So when it comes to their ingredient list, they only add in the things that matter, anything else would only get in the way, they say.
Inspired by nature when hiking through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, the founder of the company, Lara Merriken, said she had the idea to create snack bars that were made from as little and as pure natural ingredients that she could muster. It was founded humbly in May 2000, and now Merriken’s bars can be found across the globe.
The bars are GMO, and Fair Trade certified as well as the packaging which is made from recycled material. There are 23 flavors of the original fruit and nut bar, each comprising of no more than 9 ingredients:
- Apple Pie
- Banana Bread
- Blueberry Muffin
- Carrot Cake
- Cappuccino
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Peanut Butter Cookie
- Chocolate Chip Brownie
- Cashew Cookie
- Cherry Pie
- Chocolate Coconut Chew
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Pecan Pie
- Snickerdoodle
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte
- Coconut Chocolate Chip
- Gingerbread
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Bar
- Mint Chip Brownie
- Pumpkin Pie
What We Love
The short list of ingredients! When you are looking for a healthy snack, simplicity, and transparency is a huge bonus. Larabar exemplifies this through it’s simple and natural ingredients.
Their bars have no added sugar, and any sweetness comes straight from their natural fruits. For example, in their Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip variety, the bar has surprisingly only four ingredients, dates, peanuts, vegan chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt. Consumers love this easy to follow ingredient list!
What We Didn’t Like
The only apparent downside is that some people have received moldy or expired bars when purchased online, but the company is more than happy to send vouchers or coupons to reimburse the consumer.
Or, read our full Larabar review
Go-Macro Macrobar
Go-Macro has five core principles. They understand the importance of a vegan lifestyle and all their products abstain from using and harming animals. They believe that a Macrobiotic diet is the key to a long, healthy life, they strive to create wholesome food for the individual, they give back to the community by paying it forward, and lastly, they believe in having a small environmental impact.
They are certified organic, vegan, clean, raw, soy-free, gluten-free, non-gmo and carbon free. The bars come in 11 different flavors including:
- Protein Pleasure
- Sweet Rejuvenation
- Protein Replenishment
- Protein Paradise
- Prolonged Power
- Wholehearted Heaven
- Sweet Revival
- Morning Harvest
- Protein Purity
- Balanced Goodness
- Sunny Uplift
What We Love
Each type of nut and fruit bar as it’s own unique purpose! Whether it is cleansing your body through Balanced Goodness and Sweet Rejuvenation or giving you that extra boost of energy through Protein Purity or Prolonged Power, you know these bars are serving your individual needs.
Like Larabar, Macrobar uses wholesome and simplistic ingredients, choosing Brown Rice Syrup instead of more refined white sugars!
What We Didn’t Like
The only downside, once again is that some of the bars seemed to be past their use by date when delivered through purchases online.
CLIF BAR Energy Bar
Clif Bars understand that good food provides health, food, and energy, and is a delight to the senses. They strive to use only wholesome ingredients in their products, and all of their food is free from hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.
They believe that food has an impact on the environment and wildlife and pledge to use sustainable manufacturing processes. Their Clif Bars were the first products that the organization produced. There are up to 22 available flavors online at Amazon, including favorites like:
- Coconut Chocolate Chip
- Blueberry Crisp
- White Chocolate Macadamia
- Chocolate Chip
- Oatmeal Raisin Walnut
- Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Chocolate Almond Fudge
What We Love
There is a pack full of vitamins. In the ingredient list, we can see the bars are fueled with a long list of beneficial vitamins including Vitamins A to E including all the B vitamins. These days, it can seem quite daunting to get all the required vitamins you need to feel vibrant and healthy, but Clif Bar makes it easier as they pack all their products with vitamins and minerals.
What We Didn’t Like
There are a few downsides to these Clif Bars. Firstly, even though they do not use high fructose corn syrup, the products have a high amount of sugar through dried cane sugar and brown rice syrup. Furthermore, their bars also use gluten and soy in their ingredient list which means they may not be suitable for everyone.
How to Tell if a Granola/Fruit/Nut Bar is truly healthy?
With the countless array of cruelty-free granola and fruit bars on the market, that all claim to be extremely natural, wholesome and healthy how can you tell which selection are truly the healthiest?
There a few things to look out for when choosing your favorite vegan “granola” bar brand.
First, Look at the sugar content!
Sometimes to add extra flavor and make their product more addictive, manufacturers add in additional sugars. And not all sugars were born equal. It’s best to read the ingredients list and determine whether the sugars are natural. The most ideal would be natural sugars derived from the actual fruits added such as dates and bananas.
The next best thing would be natural and less-processed sugars which are added such as Brown Rice Syrup or Malt Syrup. It would be best to avoid added sugars like cane sugar and worst of all High Fructose Corn Syrup as they are the most damaging to the human body.
Also take note of your certain allergies. Not all vegan bars are both gluten and soy free, and even though there might not be any gluten and soy in the ingredient list, there could be a chance that the manufacturer has processed the products on machinery that also processes these allergens. It usually states this fact on the product.
Wrapping it Up
As you can tell, there is a broad range of ‘granola’ and fruit and nut bars that you can choose for a healthy snack. As stated before, there aren’t any truly vegan granola bars on the market, but if you prefer the traditional crunch and munch of a conventional granola bar then there are an endless array of homemade recipes you can follow to satisfy your needs!