Granola Bars with Dried Fruits - GF, Vegan & Natural Sweetened
Oh Hello New Week! Let’s Do This!
I’m starting up this Monday with a little bit of planning and food prep for the week. I’m writing my goals, mindset, things to think about for this week and tasks to do in my bullet journal, and am all looking over the food options I have in my kitchen… and what possible food I CAN create with the ingredients in my kitchen. When having busy weeks I also like to prepare various snack meals and have them stored in the fridge/freezer/pantry, so that when I need energy in between my main meals, it’s simple for me to just bring it out and eat it - like bars! I honestly think buying natural bars in a supermarket or healthy shop is extremely expensive though. A bar costs approx 20-30 sek (2-3 euros) in Sweden which is crazy much and so unnecessary money to spend since you can make your own, easily in your own kitchen. That is the reason why I today want to recommend you to make these granola bars. These are super simple to make,
Endless of Variations Possibilities!
Yes, I wanted to come up with a recipe where you had the chance of giving it your own “touch” in sense of what flavor and ingredients the bars have. The base ingredients are oats, nut butter, dates, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla, and then we just add various dried fruits and berries to the mixture to give it flavor.
You can use optional nut butter for the recipe. I used gluten free oats to make this recipe gluten free but you can use fiber oats or “ordinary” rolled oats too. When it comes to the dried fruits and berries you can simply use whatever you like; for instance dried cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, dried blueberries etc. Just be sure that you cut the fruits and berries to smaller pieces if the fruits are too big. I also added coconut flakes to my bars because I like that.
Important to know…
When doing these bars we are using dates as the natural sweetening. When using dates it’s important to use soft, fresh dates because then the dates are as sweet as possible and also are the most simple to work with. You can use big Medjool Dates if you want to, just be sure they are soft and fresh.
THIS RECIPE IS:
Vegan
Gluten Free
Made with natural sweetening
Have variations possibilities
Easy to make
Can be stored in the freezer
Granola Vanilla Bars with Dried Fruits
INGREDIENTS:
3.5 dl fiber or gluten free oats
65 g (1 dl) hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds work too
100 g dates, approx 15 small pieces
200 g optional nut butter
a pinch of salt
a pinch of real vanilla powder or some vanilla essence
2 tbsp coconut flakes
approx 4 tbsp raisins, dried cranberry and/or other dried fruits or berries
HOW TO MAKE:
Heat oven to 200 degrees C (390 F).
Place the oats on one side of a lined baking sheet, and the hazelnuts separately on the other side of the sheet. Place in the oven for 10’, stirring them around halfway. Be careful they don’t burn though.
Meanwhile, mix the dates with a stick blender or blender to a sticky texture. Let it take time.
When the oats and hazelnuts have gotten some color, place the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and have the “kitchen towel pouch” between your hands and rub off its peel.
Place thereafter all ingredients in a big bowl. Use a spatula to combine everything thoroughly. Let it take time, because it’s important that there are no big lumps of date mass or peanut butter stuck together.
Line a pan (or loaf pan) with baking sheet and press out the mixture. If you press the mixture thoroughly then the bars won’t fall into pieces.
Place the mixture into the freezer for approx 1 hour.
When done cut out to pieces and then dig in! If you want to, you can also drizzle over some chocolate.