These homemade energy snack seed bars with tahini and honey are crunchy, chewy, energizing and deliciously seedy. Packed full of crunch, they're super easy to make and perfect for a healthful snack with a cup of tea or on-the-go!
Save This Recipe 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
These homemade bars are a quick and easy, with wholesome goodness in every bite. Loaded with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a touch of cayenne pepper, they offer a chewy texture that caters to your sweet tooth while keeping things allergy-friendly.
What sets these seed bars apart is their simplicity and versatility. Experiment with your favorite nuts or seeds, sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, and consider adding goji berries for more texture.
These bars are perfect for busy mornings, a post workout snack, or whenever you crave a satisfying treat. Ideal for meal prep, these seedy bars are set to become your go-to snack for daily adventures.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Allergy Friendly Snack: These seed squares are gluten-free, nut-free, vegan-friendly, oil-free and grain-free (paleo seed bars). The perfect snack recipe with seeds, especially for those with nut allergies like peanut allergies or a tree nut allergy. This raw seed bar recipe makes a perfect seeds snack for all dietary needs.
- Grab-and-Go Yummy Snack: Crunchy, chewy, convenient, transportable, seedy and simple for easy snacking. These nut-free granola bars are a good breakfast alternative or afternoon snack.
- No Coconut Oil: There is no melted coconut oil, though I did include coconut flakes which adds a subtle coconut flavor.
If you love these seed snacks, these banana oatmeal breakfast cookies make a perfect quick breakfast idea. Or try these no-bake recipes like black bean chocolate fudge brownies, edible cookie dough, matcha chocolate mint cups or matcha energy balls. If you like homemade granola bars, you're going to love my chewy chocolate chip granola bars, almond cherry bars, carrot cake oatmeal bars and strawberry crumble bars.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make these energy snack seed bars:
Ingredient Notes:
- Tahini: Used to bind the whole thing together.
- Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp Seeds (Hemp Hearts), Sesame Seeds and Chia Seeds: Crunchy whole foods seeds.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Adds a nice chewy feel to the seedy bars.
- Maple Syrup or Honey: Works well to add a little sweetness and bind the seeds together. Use a combination of the two if you prefer sweeter bars.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds a little kick and elevates the flavor.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Tahini can be substituted with sunflower seed butter, almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter, if there's no nut allergy.
- Whole grains like certified gluten free oats or quick oats can be swapped for the shredded coconut. No need for oat flour, coconut flour or almond flour in this recipe.
- A natural sweetener like pure maple syrup will make these snack bars vegan, or use honey or brown rice syrup. Warm the natural sweetener with the seed butter to make it easier to combine.
- Create homemade nut and seed bars by swapping in some chopped nuts for seeds. Want a chia seed bar recipe? Swap in a couple more tablespoons of chia. Do the same with sesame seed. In fact, sesame seed bars with peanut butter work really well.
How To Make This Seed Bars Recipe
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8" square pan with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add tahini and maple syrup. Stir and warm until just beginning to bubble. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
- In a large bowl, add dry ingredients: coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Mix well.
- Add the tahini mixture and stir until evenly combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and press firmly until well packed.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Remove from pan by lifting out parchment paper. Slice into 25 squares.
Expert Tips
- No Food Processor: Use a spoon or sturdy silicone spatula in a large bowl and give this granola bar snack (without oats) a good mix.
- Add-Ins: Cardamon or a tiny pinch of cloves or nutmeg can bring these bars next level. A couple of tablespoons of dairy-free chocolate chips, flax seeds, cacao nibs, chopped dried cranberries or Medjool dates.
- Make it Your Own - feel free to mix up the seeds or add nuts, keeping the final amounts consistent so the seed recipe holds together.
Common Questions
The binding agent for these super seed bars is tahini and honey. If you're over-generous with the seeds or shredded coconut, there may not be enough binder to hold. I also find that if I warm the honey and tahini until just starting to bubble, they will have broken down enough to blend well and help the bars stick together better.
Absolutely! Feel free to mix and match seeds, nuts, or even add-ins like dried fruits or chocolate chips. You can tailor the sweetness by adjusting the honey or maple syrup quantity. Make your own perfect, personalized snack bar.
Storage Tips
- For optimal freshness and to maintain their chewy texture, I recommend storing these bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, individually wrap bars and freeze. Thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before indulging.
More Gluten-Free Bars To Try
📖 Recipe
Energy Snack Seed Bars
Equipment
- 1 medium or large mixing bowl
- 1 8x8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seed
- ¼ sesame seeds
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8" square pan with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the tahini and honey. Stir and warm until just beginning to bubble. Remove from heat and add vanilla. This can also be done over a double boiler to protect the nutrients in the honey.
- In a large bowl, add coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Mix well. Add the tahini mixture and stir until evenly combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and press firmly until well packed.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Remove from pan by lifting out parchment paper. Slice into 25 squares.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Heather says
OMG SO good!! I used honey instead of maple syrup but otherwise followed the recipe 🙂 they held up perfect after cooking and I think they may be a bit addictive!
Jacqui Wilson says
Hi Heather,
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! And I find them addictive too!
Livia says
I was on AIP for over 5 weeks and made this recipe to reintroduce seeds into my diet. They are SOOOO good! I haven’t added cayenne since I’m still now allowed nightshades but I’ll add some pepper to my new batch! Thanks for this recipe!
Jacqui Wilson says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the bars. We love them too!
JC says
These are fairly easy to make and they are delicious! The cayenne adds a subtle kick. Yummy!
Jacqui Wilson says
Thank you JC, I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Helen B says
Wow these are really good!
Jacqui Wilson says
I love them too!