granola bars

Due to popular demand, I am posting this recipe for you all to enjoy. This recipe was actually created by my best friend Tina. I have a tried a lot of granola bar recipes and I love that this bar doesn’t include any oil. Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can create all sorts of different combinations. Thank you to my friend Jo in Salt Lake City for testing this recipe!

Enough to fill a pan 6 inches x 9 inches pan (or 8 inches by 8 inches)

Ingredients

1 cup packed whole dates, pitted (deglet nour or medjool are best and worth the extra money!)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup creamy nut butter (I typically use peanut or almond butter)

1/4 cup unsalted, raw almonds, loosely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted, raw cashews, loosely chopped

1/4 cup unsalted, raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup whole flax seeds

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Optional chocolate chips (1/4 to 1/2 cup) and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

Creating The Magic!

Line the pan/dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper - this will ensure the bars won’t stick to the pan.

Optional step: Place oats on a baking tray and toast in the oven at 350F (180C) for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Place oats, chopped almonds and cashews, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds in a bowl and mix.

Next, place the pitted dates in a food processor and process until a ‘dough’ forms. If your dates are not super fresh, you can add a splash of water to the food processor to help the dates form a dough. If the dates are pretty hard I would suggest soaking them in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften them, discard the water and then place the softened dates in the processor and make the ‘dough’. Leave to one side.

Place honey and nut butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Heat until the mixture has turned to liquid. Remove from heat. (Be sure not to let the mixture boil). Let the mixture cool. Add the maple syrup and optional teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir.

Pour the cooled nut butter mixture into the oat mixture. Add the ‘date dough’. Mix everything together until well combined. You made need to use your hands to mix everything together. Add optional chocolate chips - I suggest 1/2 cup but feel free to add less or more depending upon how much you like chocolate.

* Note if your nut butter is still super warm, it will melt the chocolate chips. So if you don’t want the chocolate to melt, ensure the mixture is cool before adding the chocolate chips.

Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the mixture to the lined pan. Press down the mixture with the back of a spoon until it is fairly evenly dispersed. Cover the bars with parchment paper/plastic wrap and continue to press down with your hands to ensure the bars are evenly flattened. Place the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes or so. Once the bars are firm, you should be able to lift out the entire mixture from the pan. Slice the bars into rectangles or squares. Individually wrap the bars and store in the fridge. Bars can remain in fridge for up to 2 weeks (they will probably last longer but we always eat them within a week!)

*Feel free to experiment with different flavors and combinations. How about making tropical bars with unsweetened coconut and dried papaya or ginger, chocolate and cherry? The possibilities are endless!