Super Granol-Oat Nut Butter Bars [Love Grown Foods Style]
Do you love the taste and texture of granola bars but tired of seeing an abundant amount of sugars and refined carbs? Me too, guys, me too. It frustrates me when I see health bars on shelves that call themselves healthy and nutritious only to read the label/contents and discover it was purely a marketing ploy. Unfortunately, 99% of the granola bars that my grandma used to give to me for school, ’cause she thought they were better snack options, fall under this category. Some bars contain just as much sugar as chocolate bars! This makes snacking healthy challenging but when in doubt, make your own! I cannot stress this enough.
I made these soft, chewy, vegan, gluten/wheat free, protein and fiber rich, healthier-for-you DIY bars in less than 15 minutes. There’s no baking required so makes it easier and faster to go right into our tummies!
One of the main ingredients in this homemade granola bar are the oats. Aka granol-oat! Oats, in moderation, is a low calorie grain that helps our bodies stay full longer and aids in sugar cravings by stabilizing blood sugars. They provide high levels of fiber and protein, generally lower in fat and contain unique antioxidants called beta glucans that reduce cholesterol and boosts defenses of the immune system against bacteria, viruses and parasites.
I had the pleasure of receiving a wonderful care package from Love Grown Foods which contained so many delicious and healthy products, one being their Super Oats Chia Nuts and Seeds! Now these oats aren’t like the other traditional oats out there. The nutritional benefits don’t just stop at simply the oats. The super stands for all of the superfood ingredients its loaded with: chia seeds, almonds, quinoa, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts. They’re also uncontaminated which makes them certified gluten and wheat free making it appropriate for those with celiac disease to safely enjoy them too!
From the minute you open the accessible package, you will see and smell the difference. A clean product that not only tastes fresh but also certified non GMO. No sugar or salt added (which makes me the happiest girl) makes it conveniently customizable and versatile for anyone.
Remember those sugary, not really good for you, granola bars we were just talking about? Well, here’s an easy peasy recipe that’s hearty, supercharged and can kick any granola bar’s butt to the curb!
For the Base – You’ll need:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of organic pure unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter
6 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 1/4 cup of Love Grown Foods Super Oats
1/2 cup of crispy brown rice cereal (can omit and add more oats or use ground flax seeds or coconut flakes!)
1/4 cup of ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons of alcohol free vanilla
1 teaspoon of organic cinnamon
2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
Optional: add in chopped almonds or seeds of choice, vegan carob chips, cacao nibs
Melt the nut butter, almond milk and coconut oil on medium low heat in a sauce pan and stir into a creamy batter. Remove immediately from the heat after melted! In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. If you don’t want your bars too chewy, you can blend or ground the oats into a flour. Pour the melted nut butter mixture onto the dry mixture and combine well.
Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press the mixture down onto the pan with your fingers or a spoon. Put in the frige for about 5 minutes until firm. In the meantime, move onto the topping….
For the Topping – You’ll need:
1/4 cup of organic coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup of unsweetened toasted carob powder (or raw cacao)
If your coconut oil is not in liquid form, melt it on low heat. This won’t take long! Stir in carob powder and mix well until topping sauce is made.
Remove the base batter from the fridge. Pour topping sauce making sure it’s evenly distributed. Refrigerate for half an hour or so until firmed up. Cut into desired squares. Best served at room temperature. Keep in an air tight container or individually wrap them in aluminum foil or cling wrap to have as on the go snacks! Keep refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to 2 months.
Alternatively you have the option to bake the base at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
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