Healthy granola bars

These homemade granola bars are SO much better than any kind you'd buy at the store. They're easy to make, and they're chewy, nutty, and delicious.

You can make many variations by swapping different kinds of nuts and seeds for dried fruit. If you care not craving chocolate, you can leave it out completely or you can make half with chocolate and half with a dried fruit.

Filled with wholesome ingredients like oats and nuts, they’re healthy enough to pass for breakfast, but they’re also perfect as afternoon snack for kids as well as for adults. 

 

For a snack to keep you full, it needs to have filling ingredients like fibre, protein, and healthy fats like peanut butter.

Store granola bars in airtight container for up to two weeks. You can also freeze them easily.

Ingredients

160g oats

90g roughly chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts or a mix

35g sunflower seeds or pepitas or additional chopped nuts

20g unsweetened coconut flakes

130g Maple syrup or Honey

80g creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

60g chocolate chips or dried fruit or cranberries

Directions 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

1. Spread the oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, and coconut flakes on a ungreased baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the coconut looks lightly golden and the nuts are toasted and fragrant, for 10 minutes

2. Meanwhile, heat the maple syrup and peanut butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until the mixture is smoothly combined. Remove from the heat.

As soon as the oat mixture is finished toasting, carefully transfer it to the pan with the peanut butter. With a rubber spatula, stir to combine. Let cool for 5 – 8 minutes.

3. Add the chocolate chips (if you add the chocolate chips immediately, they will melt).

4. Line the baking tray (20x20cm) with baking sheet.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. With the back of a spatula, press the bars into a single layer. It is very important to press the mixture into the pan.

(You also can place a sheet of plastic wrap against the surface to deter sticking, then use your fingers; discard the plastic prior to baking).

5. Bake the healthy granola bars for 15 mins if you want your bars to be chewy. If you prefer your bars dry, bake them for 20 mins.

6. Let cool completely. Once cooled, transfer bars on the chopping board and cut with a big knife in desired sizes. Use a sharp knife.

Once the bars have cooled completely, use the parchment to lift them onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars again in the same place, going over your lines to separate. Pull apart and enjoy!