Glo Bars

Easy_Vegan_Granola_(6781445588) The following post was written by Liz Montgomery, a dancer/choreographer, and a teacher for The Perri Institute for Mind and Body. She currently co-teaches the Grow Your Practice seasonal series with TaraMarie Perri, and is involved with various aspects of the institute's growth and development. As evidenced by her constant recipe sharing, Liz loves to feed people.

Before I discovered this fantastic recipe, I was always diving into coffee shops and street corner markets for a snack between teaching engagements. I was consistently disappointed, though, by the huge sugar and carbohydrate loads these on-the-go snacks delivered. Then I discovered that I could make granola bars at home, and everything changed. I make a batch of these every weekend, varying them slightly so I don’t get bored. It is worth investing in some of the ingredients that you may not have on hand—who knows, you might even be inspired to seek out other recipes that make use of them!

Glo Bars

Adapted from Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows Cookbook

Base Recipe Ingredients:

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 ¼ cups rice crisp cereal

¼ cup hemp seeds

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbs sesame seeds

2 Tbs chia seeds

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup + 1 Tbs brown rice syrup

¼ cup almond butter

¼ teaspoon salt (only if your almond butter is salt free)

1 tsp vanilla extract

parchment paper

tin foil or small waxed paper storage bags

Optional Add-Ins (use your judgment in determining what goes well together):

¼ cup dried cranberries OR chocolate chips

¼ cup pepitas OR chopped pecans

¼ cup candied ginger

2 Tbs flaxseed meal

½ tsp ground cardamom


  1. Line a 9-inch square or rectangular pan with a piece of parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, rice crisp cereal, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, sesame seeds, chia, cinnamon, and salt (if using). Mix.
  3. In a small saucepan, stir together brown rice syrup and peanut butter until melted and combined. Cook over medium high heat until the liquids start to gently bubble. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
  4. Pour the liquids over the oats. Use a spatula to scrape every bit out of the pan. Stir with a large spoon until the dry ingredients are completely coated with the wet. If using any add-ins, allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding them in.
  5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, once again scraping the bowl with the spatula. Spread out in an even layer. Lightly wet your hands and press out to the edges of the pan, evening out and compacting the surface.
  6. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  7. Using the edges of the parchment paper like handles, lift it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. With a pizza roller or serrated knife, slice in half once horizontally and then several times vertically (I’ll let you judge how big you want your granola bars to be).
  8. Wrap the bars individually in foil squares or waxed paper sandwich bags and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Grab a bar as you head out the door and enjoy an energizing snack!

-Liz Montgomery