Clean Granola Bars
I have been getting the munchies recently, but instead of grabbing for something not so healthy....I set out to make something delicious and clean to snack on.
A friend had shared a granola recipe with me over the summer, and I knew this was the time to bust it out!
I originally found this recipe over at thankyourbody.com and then modified it a bit to my liking.
And let me tell you.....I will be making it time and time again. So yummy and EASY!
Here it is-->
- 3 cups of organic oatmeal (i used rolled oats)
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter (or a substitute, like almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1 cup seeds, nuts, or a combination (try pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts)
- 1 cup organic, unsweetened and sulfur-free dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries, pumpkin, strawberries, kiwi, dates, figs etc.)
1. Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the fruit, nuts, seeds etc.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter (or substitute) and honey. Mix well, until combined and creamy.
4. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture, and stir until combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the edges of the paper extend beyond the sides of the pan.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter (or substitute) and honey. Mix well, until combined and creamy.
4. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture, and stir until combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, letting the edges of the paper extend beyond the sides of the pan.
--> okay, so we had no parchment paper when I made this, so I went with aluminum foil with a tiny bit of cooking spray (as seen in the picture)
6. Dump the granola mixture onto the parchment lined pan, and press the granola firmly down, in about a 1/2 inch thick layer. Smooth the top.
7. Chill the bars for 1/2 hour in the fridge.
8. Bake bars for 1/2 hour at 200 degrees (this step is optional, but will help your granola bars hold together and be less sticky. You can also cut them and put them in a food dehydrator over night, or just keep them chilled and eat them raw.)
9. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift them out using the edges of the parchment paper. Place on a cutting board and cut into bar shapes.
10. Reuse the parchment paper to wrap the finished bars. To keep them fresh, store in an airtight container if you won’t be using them soon.
Some good flavor combinations/suggestions:
Apricot-ginger: 1/2 cup dried apricots, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tablespoon candied ginger, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1 cup mixed seeds.
Traditional: 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup almonds.
Tropical: 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1/4 cup dried pineapple, 1/4 cup dried mango, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup crushed macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup ground flax seed
Apple-Pie: 1/2 cup chopped dried apple, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup flax seed, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Dessert bar: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup flax seed.
**I must admit, when I make this recipe I leave out the dried fruit. I am a consistency person when it comes to food and I just do not like the consistency of dried fruit.**
However, with just oats, nuts, and seeds this is still so DELICIOUS.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do in my house!