Homemade Clif Bars (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Melissa King Recipes, Snack Bars

Homemade Clif Bar recipe.  When I made my Healthy Cookie Dough Bites the other day, I thought the flavors would be a great base for Homemade Clif Bars.

So, I set out to create them.  A lot of readers lately have been asking if Clif bars are okay to eat.  I used to but them by the case as well.  I would take them to work in the days when I waited tables on the Las Vegas strip.

Here are the ingredients to the Chocolate Chip Peanut bar that I got off their website:

Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch:

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Soy Flour, Organic Roasted Soybeans), Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Toasted Oats (Organic Oats, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Vitamin E [Antioxidant]), Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Peanut Butter (Organic Peanuts, Salt), Chocolate Chips (Dried Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Peanut Flour, Peanuts, ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Apple Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Psyllium, Organic Milled Flaxseed), Organic Date Paste, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt.

Wow!  That’s a lot of ingredients!  Soy protein isolate is a hidden form of MSG.  There are also “natural flavors” in these.  Those two things alone would make me put these back on the shelf nowadays.  So, moving on to my homemade clif bars.

My homemade clif bar recipe is great because it serves as a good base for you to add whatever kind of flavors you like.

 

Homemade Clif Bars

 

These would go great with a glass of Homemade Almond Milk.

Homemade Clif Bars

Homemade Clif Bars

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Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 20 min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Grind up the oats and almonds in the food processor .
  3. When they have a crumbly consistency, add the dates and coconut.
  4. Lastly add the water slowly as you pulse the ingredients together until a batter forms. It will be thick and sticky.
  5. Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper leaving enough paper sticking out on each side so you will be able to lift the whole thing out when done.
  6. Working carefully, spread batter evenly out to all the sides.
  7. Press mixture down with a spatula to get it firm.
  8. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  9. Let cool completely before removing intact.
  10. Cut bars with a pizza cutter .

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194 thoughts to “Homemade Clif Bars (Vegan and Gluten Free)”

    1. It's totally fine. I replaced the original photo with the brown bar photo. When I made the brown bars, I added cocoa powder and peppermint extract. I guess I forgot about that until now. lol.
      Reply
      1. I just tasted them, they are fantastic. I will use a few more dates next time and I accidently used 1 cup of coconut. Very yummy. thanks for the info on the other bars. I want to make them next.
        Reply
  2. Made these as directed. They are too dry and crumbly. Suggestions to make them more sticky and possibly a bit sweeter like the cliff bars?
    Reply
    1. Really? I have received a lot of compliments on the recipe. If you want them sweeter, you can add more sweetener. I was trying to keep them healthy by just using dates as a sweetener. You could have added more water to the mixture or even a small amount of oil.
      Reply
  3. These were so easy to make and they are delicious! I have tried a few of your recipes on the site and they all have been great. I look forward to trying more. :) Blessings, Cynthia
    Reply
  4. Just made these tonight using my Vitamix. They turned out perfect! I'd love to have the cocoa/mint recipe too (how much of each). Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
    1. Awesome! Good to know it can be done in the Vitamix. I added about 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. You may need to add a tiny bit of water if the batter seems a little dry. I loved the chocolate mint combo!
      Reply
  5. Great recipe! I made this earlier today, and they came out delicious. I think next time I might do half almonds and half peanuts (I'm a peanut butter fanatic), but this is definitely a keeper. And so simple! Thanks for posting it!!!
    Reply
  6. These were fantastic! Do you have your variations listed out someplace? I noticed the peppermint extract/cocoa powder and something about peanut butter in the comments. I'd love to try more versions!! These are an absolute hit with the hubs and I (we like them WAY better than clif bars).
    Reply
    1. Awesome! For the cocoa peppermint bar, I just added about 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. Worked great! I have not tried them with peanut butter yet, but I am sure it could be done. This recipe is very adaptable.
      Reply
  7. I've been trying to find alternatives to pre made gells and bars when I am running long distances (2 hr +) when my body needs easily digestible fuels. Most products have cane sugar, maltodextrin, etc... I'm going to try these out. Dates have a lot of natural sugars, and the nuts should add some fat and protein for the longer distances too. It just depends how well I can digest and run I guess.
    Reply
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  9. Hi, We aren't big fans of dates. Do you have a substitute for these because it seems like you use them in just about all of your bars... Loving the pumpkin and peanut butter bars, though! Denice
    Reply
  10. These sound great. I love the idea of cliff bars but ya, not a fan of soy protein. Making them this way though how much protein is in them? I like bars with protein for hiking and such. Maybe this was already addressed in another comment, I did not read through them all.
    Reply
    1. Thanks Tammy! I don't know the exact protein amount, but I think it's probably decent considering the nuts and oats. If you wanted to add more protein, you could throw in some chia seeds or hemp seeds.
      Reply
  11. I made these tonight with the intention of a snack for my three kids tomorrow, but I just had to try one -awesome! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your recipes, fantastic to find great tasting natural based foods, so important. Thank you.
    Reply
    1. Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed them Melanie! I love that this recipe is so versatile. You can create so many flavors.
      Reply
  12. Melissa I have these in the oven right now they smell delicious. My adult son loves the the blueberry Cliff Bars but has a hard time finding them. I saw this recipe I had to try it, so I substituted 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries for a couple of the dates and added a tbsp of cinnamin, he is going to love them!
    Reply
  13. These are SOOO yummy! I made a couple changes due to having diff ingredients in my house, added chia seeds too.. SOOO good! Perfect for after my 1/2 marathon snack
    Reply
  14. Pingback: Vegan Medjool Date, Almond and Coconut Health Bars | the vegetarian ginger
  15. These are delicious! My whole family loves them. Super easy and filling. Love that there is no added sugar but they are still sweet.
    Reply
  16. I added a couple plops (1/3 - 1/2 cup?) of natural unsalted peanut butter and some chocolate chips (about the same?) because I love the peanut butter chocolate chip Clif bars. The batter without the chips tasted just like my memory of the Clif bars. They are in the oven right now and I can't wait!
    Reply
      1. yum! The chocolate chips have not cooled completely yet, but they taste just like the Clif bars, without any questionable ingredients. Thanks so much!
        Reply
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  19. I made these today and they turned out so good! I used raw peanuts in place of the almonds since I can't have tree nuts and I added in 3 Tbsp cocoa power. I will definitely make them again. I think I'll add in some chocolate chips for a double chocolate next time and maybe some peanut butter to get more of a PB and chocolate flavor. They taste very similar to your chocolate Larabar the way I made them (I made those before I stopped tree nuts).
    Reply
  20. Do you think a blender would work ok instead of a food processor to mix the bars? Also is this the bar that is featured in the picture on the left of your homepage? They look delicious and I can't wait to make them.
    Reply
    1. If you use a blender, it needs to be a high powered one. Also, I would soak the dates in water prior to using them. It will soften them and make them easier to blend in the blender. These are not the bars pictured on my header. Here is the link for those. One of my favorites! https://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/11/coconut-cream-larabars/
      Reply

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