Hi Friends! I do not know about your family, but in our house these few words resound a lot, “Mom, I’m hungry, can I have a snack?”
It's been my mission to create real food recipes that are quick to make and nourishing.
Finding satisfying snacks I feel good about feeding my kids other than pirate booty and massive amounts of fruit can sometimes be a challenge.
Fruit and pirate booty are great simple snacks, but sometimes my kids are craving more of a sweet "treat". I won't lie, I am guilty of purchasing the Costco pack of Chewy bars. The problem with these bars though, is one is never enough. They are not nutrient-dense and will not fill you up or hold you over until meal time.
The even BIGGER issue, are the so called "healthy ingredients". I found ingredients like: corn syrup, sugar, caramel coloring, preservatives, and synthetic oils. Those are the ones I could read.
Both my kids love those little chewy bars with chocolate and peanut butter, but I just can't see those ingredients and feel good about putting them in my children's pure bodies.
So...I have created an equally satisfying version, that unlike store-bought bars, is nutrient dense with no processed sugars or preservatives.
What do my kids think? We can't make these fast enough to keep them around! They bring them to their friends and teachers to try, telling them how much healthier and tastier they are than the one's most people buy. Mama mission accomplished! Hope you all enjoy!
Easy No-Bake "Chewy" Bars (makes 24)
Ingredients:
· ½ cup coconut oil, melted (or grass-fed butter)
· ½ cup raw honey
· 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
· 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
· ¼ cup flax seed milled or whole
· ¼ chia or hemp seeds
· 1 tsp cinnamon
· ½ cup chocolate chips
· 1 cup peanut butter*
Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, add your coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
2. Add in the oats, flax seed, chia/hemp seeds, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Stir together until combined.
3. Add chocolate chips and stir again.
4. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper (be sure to have some extra hanging off both sides).
5. Pour in the oat mixture. Using the back of a spatula press down about 1/2 inch until mixture is smooth.
6. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes to cool.
7. The cutting process: Remove the pan from the fridge. Use the extra parchment hanging off sides as handles to pull your entire granola out of the pan and place on counter. It will be a solid piece. Cut width-wise into one-inch sections. Then one long cut down the center of the pan. This will allow for 24 individual servings all equal size.
8. I like to wrap each bar in parchment for quick grab and go snacks and breakfast on the go.
9. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.
*Notes:
-If you have nut allergies, these can easily be made substituting sunflower seed butter. (I love Trader Joe’s Sunbutter!)
-Feel free to add dried fruit, nuts, coconut, cacao nibs, etc
Comments