A perfect nutritious (and safe) lunch box snack! Or stash it in your handbag for a 4pm pick me up…
I created this recipe as a solution to the nut fee ‘healthy’ foods we were asked to provide in my daughter’s school snack box. I didn’t want to keep sending packaged, processed foods in, so I found a solution in this granola bar which is full of healthy fats and nutrients. It’s also great for that predictable mid-afternoon slump, where I find myself in the danger zone of reaching for sugar filled treats. It also makes a quick and easy breakfast, dipped in yoghurt with an apple on the side. It will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup dates or dried apricots
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup high quality sunflower oil / rapeseed oil / coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Heat fan oven to 180°
- Line a medium sized baking dish or tin with parchment (approx size 26 x 16cm)
- Warm the honey, oil and vanilla in a small pan until the honey has melted.
- Put the warm mixture in a food processor with the dried fruits and cinnamon. Blitz until you have a smooth paste.
- Add all the other ingredients to the food processor and blitz or pulse until the mixture turns into big sticky clumps.
- Wrap the base of a potato masher in a sheet of parchment or foil (this stops the mixture from sticking). Spoon the mixture into the dish/tin and press down with the masher making it smooth and flat.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool before cutting into square or rectangular shape bars.
