To me a filling and nutritious, yet tasty snack is everything. I used to always have store bought granola bars or so-called energy bars in my purse. Then came a time when I started reading the labels. That is when I realized how much unwanted sugar is added to these store-bought bars and wondered if our bodies need that much sugar and other preservatives. I don’t intend to wrestle with a Rhino or a Jumbo (for fun of course) then why the sugar rush (?) I decided, I will try my hands on making these at home and they were so amazing and lasted me a good 10 days. So here I am sharing this recipe with you!
To make these delicious granola bars there is only one thing I request you to do — Read the labels of the products you purchase.
Rolled Oats: Not all oats on the market are gluten-free, they could be produced in the same facility where gluten is also packaged and handled. So, if you wish to make these gluten-free, it has to say gluten-free on the packet.
Maple syrup or Honey: These are two items that I would insist you read your label. Some brands to make their products more affordable, especially in the case of maple syrups, add corn syrup or some other sweetener that is NOT natural. Now with honey, if you can find a local beekeeper, may I say he or she is a keeper. You know the source and you know it’s good. If you are not as fortunate, look for a honey that is domestically produced in the country that you reside in, it’s just that simple.
Peanut Butter: A good peanut butter can have 1 to 3 ingredients. First being peanuts, salt (not a fan because I like to control the amount of salt and last, a sweetener like sugar, which in my opinion is unnecessary. When you are looking for a peanut butter just look for a peanut butter that only has peanuts. No added oil or preservatives.
INGREDIENTS:
- Rolled Oats — 2 cups
- Smooth peanut butter or almond butter — 1/2 cup
- Blanched sliced almonds — 1/4 cup
- Dried blueberries — 1/4 cup
- Honey or Maple syrup — 1/4 cup
- Sea salt — 1/4 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to a 350 F (176.6 C). Line an 8 by 8 baking pan with some parchment paper or grease it with some cooking oil/spray. This is to ensure that the granola doesn’t stick and comes out nice an easy like a cake.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your oats, nuts, dry fruits and salt. Then add the liquid ingredients — peanut butter and honey. At this point you can add some vanilla extract or ground cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon.)
- Give it a good mix until everything is nice and combined. It will look like a cookie batter.
- Transfer it onto the baking pan and with a spatula or your hand, even it out.
- Now bake it for 20 minutes, then let it cool completely for another 30 minutes. Cut them into squares or bars.
Enjoy!
