One of my very first blog posts was this one for Homemade Protein Bars. That post has received a lot of traffic over the last year and a half. Apparently, a lot of people use the web to research homemade protein bars.
So I decided to give it another try with homemade granola bars. I think they could stand a bit more tinkering, but I like them. A lot.
I avoided using any type of protein powder this time because I am just not a fan of it, but if you added some in, it would certainly make the protein content higher. I want to see if I can get them to be a little less crumbly next time…so don’t be surprised to see third version of this at some point in the future.
To sweeten, you could use pure maple syrup, raw honey, or your favorite all natural sweetener instead, if you like.
Something I am going to try when I make these again is soaking the oats overnight before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Soaking grains like oats makes them more digestible, and allows the nutrients to be better absorbed by the body.
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups raw oats make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need the recipe to be gluten-free
- 1 cup dried blueberries try to find ones without added sugar or preservatives; you could also use raisins, currants or your favorite dried fruit, chopped small
- 1/2 cup almond butter or use organic peanut butter, or a different nut/seed butter
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt to make this recipe vegan, omit and use 1/2 cup more almond butter
- 1/3 cup hemp seeds available in bulk food section of natural food stores
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar or honey, maple syrup, molasses, or your favorite all-natural liquid sweetener
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Press "batter" into a lightly buttered/oiled 8 x 8 inch pan. Really press down/pack it in.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. Cool before slicing into bars (freezing them before doing so may keep them from crumbling when slicing).
