Make your own homemade Clif Bars! This gluten-free, soy-free, vegan recipe makes for an easy healthy snack, plus the flavor is easy to customize with different mix-ins or even a high protein option.
Request for a homemade Clif Bar recipe? I can do that! But I better actually try them first.
Until about 4 days ago I had never had a Clif Bar. I was always more of a Lunabar or Larabar kinda girl. Larabars are still my favorite, but I’m always willing to snack for the sake of recipe research!
To be thorough, I wanted to try every flavor with chocolate chip in the name. So I sampled the chocolate chip and coconut chocolate chip (they were out of chocolate chip peanut). I do like chocolate and coconut together usually, but not in this form. So I went with just straight chocolate chip for my homemade Clif Bars.
Half a bite into my Clif Bar sampling sesh I already completely understand the appeal of these things. They are chewy and crunchy and chocolatey in all the right places.
My tastebuds loved them. My stomach did NOT! I’ve had issues with soy in the past, but I never imagined these things would give me such an immediate reaction. My stomach hurt for about 2 hours afterwards. Good thing I can make them at home and soy-free because I will probably not be chowing down on the store-bought kind again for a while.
About these Homemade Clif Bars
– They are gluten-free and vegan of course.
– They are low fat and nut-free with no nut butters or oils needed. I used extra date paste to take care of all the binding.
– They contain oat bran for more fiber. If you don’t have it or don’t care to use it, sub oat flour instead.
– Since Clif Bars are meant to be a protein bar, I added some plant-based protein powder. I went with my favorite brand, Kachava. You can use any unflavored or vanilla vegan protein powder, or leave it out and substitute with oat flour instead.
– Or you could make them peanut butter chocolate chip by using powdered peanut butter in place of the protein powder. It will add protein and delicious PB flavor!
– Crunchy bits are a must, so I used brown rice crisp cereal to recreate that texture. Puffed rice cereal will not work as well as the crispy kind.
– They are SWEET! Dates + coconut nectar makes these quite sweet, but I was trying to stay as true to Clif Bar flavor as possible and the first ingredients is a sweetener.
– They are delicious!
Now I’ve DIYed them, it’s your turn. And if you do, post a pic on Instagram with #feastingonfruit so I can see those chocolate chip snack bar beauties!
Make your own homemade Clif Bars! This #vegan & soy-free recipe is healthier and just as delicious as store-boughtClick To Tweet Print
DIY Chocolate Chip Clif Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 bars 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 12 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice crisp cereal
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup vegan vanilla protein powder (or oat flour if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 2 tbsps flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup vegan mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Blend all the wet ingredients until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet to the dry. Mix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into a long log that is about 3 inches wide and about 1/2 inch high.
- Using a knife or a pastry cutter, divide the log into 8 bars (see video if you are confused).
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20 mins at 300F.
- Cool. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 28g
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
Keywords: snack, energy bar, protein bar, clif bars, chocolate chip, easy, vegan, gluten-free
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaas. Sorry to be so basic, but I feel that was an appropriate response for how epic these are! Heck, they look 10x better than regular clif bars and I’m sure they are!!!
Hahahaha! I just left a big yasssss on someone on IG the other day…sometimes it’s just the only thing fits 😀
Ahhhh yum yum yum! These bars look so delicious Natalie! Love how chocolatey and healthy they are. I definitely need to whip a batch of these for myself this week! <3
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In comparison I think mine might have a few more chocolate chips than the original ones 😀 Somehow that’s not surprising. But they are very delicious this way!
These look 100000x better than real Clif bars especially because the ingredient list is bomb!! These would be so perfect to have in the freezer for when my random clif bar cravings hit. The gingerbread one is my favourite, so I just might have to add some gingerbread spice to these beauties!
I’m new to clif bars, so there are SO many flavors I want to explore with these! Oooh yes gingerbread would be awesome, I love all things ginger spiced <3
These look so delicious! Soooooo much better than the Clif Bars! I used to eat those bars a LONG time ago until I realized that their darn “natural flavors” in them were what was causing me so much abdominal pain and weakness…it was horrific . They also put so much soy in them, yuck. I’ve hated those things ever since, so I’m glad to see a wonderful wholesome bar here, I love making homemade granola bars, they are SO much tastier and better for us. I could eat a huge batch of yours, they are amazing!
Seriously how do people eat them all the time!?! They must have stomaches of steel or something, all that soy and I didn’t even think about the natural flavors…yep not something I will be eating regularly. But I had to try one once to be able to create a good copycat recipe. Yay for homemade bars and also for simple bars like larabars to keep us snack happy 🙂
Little do you know that chocolate chip clip bars are my favorite flavor of all time!!! These need to be made NOW!
Oh really!?! Well that’s good to hear, because it was just a blind shot in the dark for me choosing a flavor since I’m not a Clif Bar expert. I figured chocolate is always a safe bet 🙂
I honestly can’t believe these were my go-to bars for road trips and running waaaaaaaaay back in the day! I had no clue they had soy….so crazy! Way to take one for the team – sorry you had stomach pains! You’re on a roll with recreating all of my favorites and MUCH healthier! I watched the video for these last night and you nailed the look of the actual Clif bar! And all of the chocolate chip varieties were my favorite…obviously 😉 I’ve got these pinned to make for Willow sometime…I know she’ll LOVE them! xo
Hey at least they are a little better than Quaker chewy bars which I remember eating gobs of on trips and hikes lol! It is crazy to think about though. It’s funny because I’ve had some soy occasionally in other forms recently and haven’t felt too bad from it, but these really got me. There is A LOT of soy in them though. Ah thanks! Luckily they aren’t too fancy looking, they kinda have that homemade shape already 🙂 Thanks for pinning! xoxo
These look bomb! I absolutely love homemade bars free from all the nasty preservative crap! I’m the same I usually like lara bars the PB ones are my fav.! 😉 but these look so soft and perfect I really need to try these! YUM!
Omg peanut butter larabars are the bomb! PB chocolate chip ones too <3 I'm more of a larabar girl too actually, but in homemade form I really love clif bars too. They just feel more substantial somehow, I think it's all the texture 😀 Thanks Michele!
I made these today!
I used cornflakes instead of rice krispies and they turned out pretty good!
Thanks for the recipe ?
Yay!! I’m glad the cornflakes worked too, they just need some sort of crunch 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback!
This post excites me, I’m not sure if it’s the diy vegan clif bars or the beautiful pictures that made my mouth water. Can’t wait to try this one out Natalie. 🙂
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Thanks Mary! Well you can’t eat photos so I’d give most of the credit to the bars themselves 🙂 But you are very sweet, enjoy!
Oh my goodness these look SO delicious! I absolutely love Clif bars and think I would love your version even more!
They somehow came out more chocolatey than the original…can’t imagine how that happened 😀
Can I leave the oat bran out? I don’t have any:(
Sure! Just add more flax meal, rolled oats, or even some oat flour in it’s place.
I am so excited to find these.. I can’t eat soy and in am lactose intolerant allergic to coconut and tree nuts (I know I’m a nightmare!!) I can’t wait to try this!!
Wow that is quite the tricky combination of allergies? Homemade snack bars are almost a must, huh? Well I am glad this recipe works for you, and I hope you love them!!
Nutritional info available?
You can always plug the ingredients into a nutrition app like this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator.
But I just calculated for this recipe and per serving they are: 305cals / 62 carb / 6 fat / 8 protein / 18 sugar.
Hope that helps!
First and foremost: THANK YOU!!! Loved the recipe. Love your photos too.
Second… just want to be honest. I scrolled past 8 ads before I got to your recipe. EIGHT!!! For that reason alone I’m not going to subscribe bc it’s just too much for me. But… I will check back every now and then. And I’ll follow you on IG.
Please consider reducing ads. Have you ever thought of getting sponsors instead?
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I’m so happy you liked the bars Andrea!! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Ps and I can’t get rid of your subscribe fallout on mobile. It takes up the top part of my screen. Feel free to delet this comment. Just wanted you to know. 🙂
Added extra crisp rice and some caramel extract and it was the bomb dot com!
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Those additions sounds amazing, I am so happy you liked them🤗
I have made a bunch of your amazing recipes before so I am SUPER keen to make these as snacks for an upcoming ski trip. But I was just wondering if you have any suggestions for making them a bit less sweet? Would swapping out one of the liquid sugars for something else work?
Hi Georgie! I would recommend skipping the maple syrup/coconut nectar and just using the dates and maple syrup. You may need a little extra water to make up for the reduced amount of liquid, but try it without first and only add if needed to make the dough moist/stick together. Enjoy your trip!
How do you mix in the dates? Do you soften them first or use a food processor / blender?
Sorry – just watched the video. I am more of a recipe girl. I have never tried a Cliff bar, but have heard great things. Will be trying a modified version without any added sweetners. Might add a few extra dates and some cocoa.
If they are really hard you may need to soak them for a bit, but mine were pretty squishy so I just put them straight into the blender with the other liquid ingredients. It’s okay if there are a few small chunks left 🙂
Can I use blackstrap molasses?
Sure! It will just have a stronger flavor😊
I’m making them right now! 🙂
I didn’t make them as sweet. I skipped the molasses and maple syrup and they are still sweet, I like them! Thanks, Natalie, for the recipe!
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Thanks for sharing your less sweet version, that sounds delicious😋😋
I am so happy you liked them, Ana😊 Happy monday!
They were okay. Not as crunchy though. I am gonna put chopped nuts in next time.
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That would be a delicious addition!
I work outdoors and live off of a stipend. These make a great cheaper alternative to Clif for quick energy and protein.
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That is wonderful feedback John, I am so happy you are enjoying them 🙂 Thanks and happy monday!
If gluten isn’t an issue, do you think a good, regular flour in place of the oat flour is fine? Or is it a texture thing too?
Yes absolutely! Regular flour will work great here Alex 🙂
I made these today. I always try to follow the recipe as written the first time and make any changes the next time. I did not have coconut syrup so I used brown rice syrup and the only molasses I had was black-strap. The black-strap flavor came through too much in my opinion and I’ll cut it back next time. I also used the peanut butter powder in place of the protein powder. My kids didn’t even know they were supposed to be peanut butter flavored. I’ll kick that up some next time too. Over all I’ll keep tinkering with this as I think it’s good and in the future may even get better. Thanks
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I love that, I am always in favor of tweaking a recipe to what you have and prefer too! Appreciate you sharing your variations and feedback Perry, I hope the next batch is even better for you😊
Thank you for this copy cat recipe. My boys love love coif bars a little too much. I went to the store tonight and they were $10.29 for 6 bars on sale from $12.29! And that is why I searched for an alternative. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you
Insanely expensive, right?! That is part of the reason this recipe came to be, I feel you. I hope they love them too…!