When I made the Glo Bars from the Oh She Glows cookbook, I remembered the granola bars I used to make when I was a kid. Since I can remember, I have always been curious about how stuff is made. When I was a kid, I would always make experiments to make everything from scratch – this applied to the kitchen, but also to crafting, sewing and many other things (I have to admit that I am still very much the same!). Thus, when I was in Girl Guides, I wanted to find a good snack to bring to camp and I started experimenting with many granola bar recipes. I kept experimenting for a few years until I was really happy with the recipe I made. I was in high school at that time and my recipe became famous among my group of friends. I would make these bars on a regular basis and share them with all my friends.

A few days ago, I was looking through my old recipes and was able to find the original granola bar recipe that I made so many times when I was younger. I adapted and improved it to make it healthier and even more delicious than it was. The result is great, this granola bar is filled with protein and goodness, is not too sweet and holds together really well. For a vegan version, you could replace the honey with agave syrup.

Honey and Almond Granola Bars

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This hearty granola bar is the perfect snack to bring camping and travelling. It is filled with protein and will give you lots of energy for your outdoor adventures.

Author: Homemade Hearts, inspired by Oh She Glows

Serves: 32 bars

Ingredients

• 4 cups rice crisps
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup quinoa flakes
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup flax seeds, ground
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup honey
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice crisps, rolled oats, quinoa flakes, flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries and apricots. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil honey, coconut oil and coconut sugar while stirring constantly.
3. Once it is boiling, remove from heat and mix in almond butter, vanilla extract and sea salt until smooth.
4. Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon until all dry ingredients are evenly coated with the honey mixture.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Transfer the granola bar mixture on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
7. Cover the granola bars with another sheet of parchment paper and press down on the mixture to even it out. I like to use a second baking sheet to press the mixture since it will give you an even thickness throughout and the bars will be very compact and hold well together. Once they are compact, press the edges with your fingers to ensure they hold together.
8. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes until the bars are hardened.
9. Using a pizza cutter, slice into 32 bars (8 wide by 4 length-wise).
10. Once they are cut, wrap them individually using the leftover parchment paper as shown on the picture below.
11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Notes

These bars will keep 2-3 weeks in the fridge and you can also freeze them to keep them for 2-3 months.
Substitutions: The almond butter can be substituted by peanut butter and the coconut sugar can be replaced by brown sugar. For a vegan version, you can replace the honey with agave syrup.

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