These tasty bars have long been a staple snack in my household when the mileage is high – they help ensure we aren’t reaching for packaged, processed bars instead. And this week in particular, as I attempt to run 100 miles in one week (something I tried to do last year and failed), I need my fridge stocked with carb-loaded healthy snacks. I’m now fully loaded and ready to take on these one hundred miles!!
You’ll find this recipe comparable in sweetness level to that of store-bought (my hubby finds them delicious – he’s not one for the ‘sweetened with only dates’ haha). If you prefer slightly less sweet bars, cut the amount of honey in half and add more almond butter (just don’t skimp on or sub out the brown rice syrup though – it really does the trick in holding the bars together)!
Makes 24 regular sized bars.
Ingredients
- 4 cups instant rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped nuts (such as almonds or pecans or peanuts) OR use seeds if nut allergy
- ½ cup seeds (such as hemp hearts or pumpkin seeds or chia or sunflower seeds)
- ½ cup dried fruit (such as cranberries, cherries or raisons) – optional
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ cup brown rice syrup (no substitutions)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup all natural nut butter (such as almond butter or peanut butter) or Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or organic butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips – optional
- ½ cup hemp hearts – optional
Directions
- Heat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, optional dried fruit, coconut and salt.
- In a small saucepan, mix and melt together the syrup, honey, nut butter and oil, until just melted. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.
- Press into the parchment paper lined baking dish. Sprinkle with hemp hearts and chocolate chips if desired. Using another piece of parchment paper over top the granola bars, press flat, pressing the chips and hemp hearts into the top of the granola bars (I find parchment the easiest way to flatten the granola bars, so ingredients don’t stick to your hands or utensils).
- Bake for 20 minutes, until edges are just browned. Let cool completely before cutting.
- Store in fridge for up to 7-10 days.
Enjoy!
To deliciously healthy food and stronger faster running… Cheers,
Sarah J Cuff, RHN