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    Home » Savory Breakfast Recipes

    Doritos-Flavored Savory Granola Bars

    Published: Aug 27, 2023 by Richa 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    savory granola bars on a cutting board, text overlay
    image collage of savory granola bars on a cutting board, text overlay
    savory granola bars on a cutting board, one is broken in half so you can see the texture inside
    savory granola bars, after baking and slicing

    Behold! The Doritos Nacho Spice Savory Granola Bar! Don’t want sticky sweet snack, make this nutty seedy nacho cheesy crisp snack bars! They almost have the texture of shortbread crackers with lots of nacho cheesy flavor. Also Gluten-free

    savory granola bars on a cutting board, one is broken in half so you can see the texture inside
    Table of Contents
    • Why You’ll Love Savory Granola Bar
    • More Granola Bars to Make
    • Recipe Card
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Tips
    • How to Make Nacho Cheesy Savory Granola Bars
    • Frequently Asked Questions

    I know, savory granola bars ? Like what! And Doritos Nachos spice! But believe me, they are deeelicious! Bet you never thought your fave savory snack could be a hearty Granola bar!

    They’re almost like a cracker, but they’re thick and have a lot of nuts and seeds and good stuff. They’re softer than just a nut and seed cracker which is usually crunchy. These are kind of like shortbread cookies, and a non-sticky, savory granola bar. 

    My niece just got her braces and she loves to eat granola bars, but she’s not allowed to eat them, because they’re all sticky. So I made her these granola bars: a sweet version and this savory version. And since she loves spice, these are somewhat spicy.

    You can adjust the flavor to preference. The flavor of these should remind you of a bit of Doritos chips with all of that nutritional yeast and paprika.

    savory granola bars, after baking and slicing

    You can change up the spices to make a different savory flavor profile to preference. You can add just some chili powder blend or add some garam masala, or berbere, or Cajun spice to these. 

    Why You’ll Love Savory Granola Bar

    • amazing, nacho cheesy flavor with no dairy
    • healthy breakfast or snack
    • gluten-free with an oil-free option

    More Granola Bars to Make

    • No-Bake Sun Butter Granola Bars
    • No Bake Ginger Chocolate Granola Bars
    • Caramelized Banana Granola Bars
    • Crunchy Granola Bars (Not Sticky)
    • Banana Oatmeal Bars with Cinnamon Crumb

    Recipe Card

    savory granola bars, after baking and slicing
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Savory Granola Bars

    Hearty, satisfying Doritos Nacho Spice Savory Granola Bar! Don’t want sticky sweet snack, make this nutty seedy nacho cheesy crisp snack bars! They almost have the texture of shortbread crackers with lots of nacho cheesy flavor. Also Gluten-free 
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time22 minutes mins
    Total Time32 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: dorito spice snack bars, savory granola bars
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 112kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 1 cup (236.59 g) almond flour
    • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
    • 1/4 to 1/3 cup (20.25 g) old fashioned oats
    • 1/4 cup (36 g) chopped nuts and seeds I like to use a mixture of chia seeds, sesame seeds and chopped up cashews or almond slivers or other nuts and seeds.
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

    For the Spices( Doritos nacho spice blend)

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
    • 1/4 teaspoon Indian sulphur salt, kala namak (optional)
    • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder

    Wet Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil measured solid and melted before using
    • 2 tablespoons applesauce
    • 1 flax egg, That is 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water

    For Topping

    • 1/2 teaspoon extra paprika if needed

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca starch, oats, nuts and seeds, and the baking soda and mix really well. Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps.
    • In a small bowl, mix all the salt and spices together really well. Add about 3/4 of that spice mixture to the almond flour mixture and mix in, then add in the melted coconut oil, applesauce, and flax egg and press and mix into the almond flour mixture and form it into a dough. If the dough is too dry, add in splashes of water to help form a cohesive dough.
    • Line an 8×8" baking pan with parchment paper. Press the dough into the pan and even it out with a spatula. Bake at 330° Fahrenheit (165° C) for 22 to 30 minutes. The baking time depends on your oven and the pan. You can also bake it for 30 minutes for a crispier texture.
    • Remove the baking dish from the oven, brush on a teaspoon of oil, and sprinkle leftover spices on top. You can also add extra paprika to the mix before sprinkling for additional color and flavor.
    • Use a very sharp serrated knife to slice into individual savory granola bars. Cool and store as-is, Or, to make them even crispier, remove the parchment from the baking dish, place on a baking sheet, and spread the bars out. Then bake at 315° F (157 °C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy to preference(double bake like a biscotti) .
    • Storage: cool completely and store savory granola bars in a closed container on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

    Notes

    These are gluten-free as-is.
    These are nut-heavy bars with an almond flour base, so eliminating almond is going to be very difficult. You can make them cashew-free by omitting the cashews from the nuts. They’re naturally peanut-free, as long as you don’t use peanuts in the nut mixture.
    To make them oil-free, omit the coconut oil and add 2 tablespoons of smooth almond butter instead.
    Tapioca starch Substitute: use different starches, like cornstarch, arrowroot, or potato starch, in place of the tapioca starch.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Savory Granola Bars
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 112 Calories from Fat 81
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9g14%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 170mg7%
    Potassium 64mg2%
    Carbohydrates 6g2%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 184IU4%
    Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
    Calcium 27mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    oats, almond flour, and other ingredients in bowls on a kitchen counter

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • almond flour – The protein-packed, gluten-free base for these savory granola bars.
    • tapioca starch – Starch acts as a binder, helping the bars hold together. You can use other starches, like cornstarch, arrowroot, or potato starch, in place of the tapioca starch.
    • old-fashioned oats – Also called rolled oats. Do not use steel cut oats.
    • nuts and seeds – Mix and match nuts and seeds of your choice, such as chia seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, almonds, etc.
    • baking soda – A leavening agent, so the bars will be lighter.
    • salt and spices – Onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, cayenne, black salt, and chili powder give these savory granola bars a flavor that remind me of nacho cheese Doritos. You add the spices to the dough and on top of the bars for maximum flavor!
    • coconut oil – Adds moisture and texture. You can use almond butter instead, for an oil-free version.
    • applesauce – Adds moisture and a hint of sweetness to balance the heat.
    • flax egg – A mixture of flax meal and water is another binder to help the bars hold together.

    Tips

    • When mixing the savory granola bar batter, make sure to press out any clumps. Almond flour loves to clump together, so press and mix until you have a pretty smooth batter.
    • Make the flax egg at the beginning, so it has time to thicken before you add it to the batter.
    • Measure the coconut oil while it’s solid, but be sure to melt before using. Do not measure it melted, and do not use it unmelted. Measure, then melt.
    • The Kala Namak(Indian sulphur salt) is optional but does give these bars a great flavor dimension!

    How to Make Nacho Cheesy Savory Granola Bars

    In a large bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca starch, oats, nuts and seeds, and the baking soda and mix really well. Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps. 

    almond flour in a mixing bowl
    adding oats to the almond flour
    adding nuts to the oats and almond flour

    In a small bowl, mix all the salt and spices together really well. Add about three quarters of that mixture to the almond flour mixture and mix in, then add in the melted coconut oil, applesauce, and flax egg and press and mix into the almond flour mixture and form it into a dough.

    adding spices to the bowl of oats, nuts, and almond flour
    adding wet ingredients to the dry in a mixing bowl

    If the dough is too dry, add in splashes of water to help form a cohesive dough. 


    savory granola bar dough in the bowl after mixing

    Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper. Press the dough into the pan and even it out with a spatula. Bake at 330° Fahrenheit (165° C) for 22 to 30 minutes. The baking time depends on your oven and the pan. You can also bake it for 30 minutes for a crispier texture. 

    ball of savory granola bar dough in a lined baking sheet
    pressing the savory granola bar dough into the lined baking pan

    Remove the baking dish from the oven, brush on some oil, and sprinkle leftover spices on top. You can also add extra paprika to the mix before sprinkling for additional color and flavor. 

    brushing oil onto baked savory granola bars
    panful of savory granola bar dough with the flavor topping sprinkled on
    savory granola bars cooling, before slicing

    Use a very sharp serrated knife to slice into the individual savory granola bars. Cool and store as-is, or, to make them even crispier, remove the parchment from the baking dish and place on a baking sheet. spread the bars out and then bake at 315° F (157 °C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy to preference(double bake like a biscotti)

    savory granola bars on a cutting board after slicing
    savory granola bars on a lined baking sheet before baking for extra crispness

    Once they cool completely, store savory granola bars in a closed container on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are these allergy friendly?

    These are gluten-free and soy-free as-is. 

    These are nut-heavy bars with an almond flour base, so eliminating almond is going to be very difficult. You can make them cashew-free by omitting the cashews from the nuts. They’re naturally peanut-free, as long as you don’t use peanuts in the nut mixture.

    What can I use instead of tapioca starch?

    You can use different starches, like cornstarch, arrowroot, or potato starch, in place of the tapioca starch.

    Can I make them without oil?

    To make them oil-free and coconut-free, omit the coconut oil and add 2 tablespoons of smooth almond butter instead. 

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    1. Ann

      August 27, 2023 at 6:50 pm

      Any suggestions if no applesauce available?

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 27, 2023 at 7:36 pm

        Use non dairy yogurt or 1 flax egg plus 1 tbsp oil.

        Reply
    2. Mandy

      August 27, 2023 at 11:27 am

      5 stars
      At first I thought this sounded really weird
      But then I thought I’d try them

      WOW
      They are FANTASTIC
      I will make a double batch next time and I am definitely making a batch of the spice mix to use w roasted chic peas

      Note I made the oil free version used almond butter
      And I used pumpkin sliced almonds chia sunflower seeds amd sesame seeds as my mix. I also did the extra baking to crisp them up.

      Thanks
      Again for another amazing recipe !

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 27, 2023 at 12:13 pm

        Yes!! Thank you for trusting the recipe! Great additions!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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