Granola bars have long been a favourite of the outdoorsy crowd and the lunch time brown baggers alike. They have fiber and protein and all the good stuff we know we should eat, and generally we feel good about having or giving granola bars as a snack for ourselves and our families. What if we told you that granola bars can be even better if you made them yourselves. These have less sugar and filler than your typical store bought brand. The only downside is that you might end up eating them all at one go.
Homemade Granola Bars
Course: SnacksCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes25
minutes45
minutesIngredients
1 generous cup of rolled oats
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
2 Tbsp of chia seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of applesauce
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper
- Add the oats, almonds and walnuts to your high speed blender or food processor and roughly blend.
- Transfer the oat and nut mixture to a large bowl.
- Mix in the raisins, chopped cranberries, chia seeds and cinnamon to the mixture.
- Over medium heat bring the coconut oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and vanilla to a slow boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the hot mixture to the bowl and combine until everything is well mixed.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. The more packed down the mixture the better. You can use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Be careful not to burn the top.
- Allow the pan to cool before transferring it to the refrigerator for a couple of hours. You can then remove the pan and cut the granola into bars.