Snacks

Granola Bars Yield: about 16 bars

I hear that a lot of kids like granola for snacks and cereal and in a yogurt parfait after school and so I had to try my hand at my own “healthy” version of a granola bar.  I used oat flour since I have a difficult time digesting wheat, but you can certainly use whole-wheat flour in this recipe.  Just remember to serve a nice chilled glass of whole milk with your granola bar…satisfaction guaranteed!

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded/desiccated unsweetened coconut*
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut oil**, melted & extra to grease baking dish
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup almond butter or peanut butter
1 cup oat flour or whole-wheat flour
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries

Procedure:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. On a baking sheet mix together oats, almonds, coconut and sunflower seeds and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once until lightly browned.  Then set aside and let cool.  Lower the oven temperature to 300°F.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sea salt and almond or peanut butter.  Bring mixture to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes and remove pan from the heat.
  4. In a large bowl mix together the dried fruits and flour.  Then add in the oats, almonds, coconut and sunflower seeds and then the liquid ingredients and stir well until every part of the mixture is moist. 
  5. In a greased 8”X12” baking dish, line the bottom with parchment paper.
  6. Pour the granola mixture in and press down until it is evenly distributed across the bottom of the pan.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.
  8. Let cool for an hour and then cut into 2”x3” rectangular bars.  Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container for several days…if they last that long.

*Shredded/desiccated unsweetened coconut is just coconut “meat” that has been grated and dehydrated to remove all the moisture and has no added sweetener.  You might be able to find this in the health food section of your grocery store or just head to your local health food store.  You can buy incredible coconut products online from www.tropicaltraditions.com

**Coconut Oil –This marvelous oil has gotten such a bad rap in recent history because it’s almost completely saturated.  But, you have to understand that this saturated fat is so good for us in so many ways like: it has anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties because it has lauric acid which is found in breast milk to boost baby's immunity.  It’s the type of fat that is used by top athletes and people who want to lose weight because half of it is burned for energy by the body.  Coconut oil is also excellent in helping to support brain function and who doesn't need that now days?

Where to get coconut oil?  Some grocery stores might have it in the health food section, but otherwise you need to go to a health food store or order online.  Here’s the important part…you want to buy “virgin-unrefined” coconut oil so that it’s not highly processed or hydrogenated by the time you get it.  So, just read the label carefully.