Characteristics
This recipe provides a delicious, chewy, and highly nutritious homemade energy/granola bar. These bars provide us with optimally healthy ingredients and superfoods resulting in nutrient-dense calories. They are loaded with healthy carbohydrates, fats, and protein, as well as numerous vitamins and minerals. They are naturally low in sodium and cholesterol-free and offer an excellent amount of fiber. They can be enjoyed as a snack any time or side to your green smoothie.
TYPE: Snack
PREP TIME: ~ 10 mins
SERVINGS: depends on cut sizes, fills a 9 X 13-inch pan/dish
- Raw
- 100% Plant-Based / Vegan
- Whole Food
- Wheat-free
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- Peanut-free* (depending on your choice of ingredients)
- Nut-free* (depending on your choice of ingredients)
- Oil-free
Goodies Needed
- 2 cups Organic Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 cup Organic Nut or Seed Butter (raw almond, peanut butter, or sesame tahini)
- ½ - 1 cup Organic Maple Syrup OR Organic Brown Rice Syrup OR Organic Agave Syrup
- ½ cup Organic Raw Sunflower Seeds
- ½ cup Organic Hemp Seeds
- ½ cup Organic Raisins
- 1 Tbsp Organic Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Organic Cinnamon
TOOLS:
- Large 5-Quart Pot
- Stove
- Spoon
- Measuring cup
- Spatula
- A 9X13-inch Glass Dish
Preparation Steps
- Place the nut or seed butter and ½ cup of your choice of syrup into the pot, and begin heating on low heat, stirring, until uniformly melted and runny.
- Stir in the oats and continue to heat for a few minutes (3 to 5), stirring thoroughly. Add in a little more syrup if needed, if the mixture is too thick and difficult to mix.
- Remove from the heat and add in all of the remaining ingredients. Mix everything thoroughly. The mixture should be a blend of dry and sticky where all ingredients mesh together.
- Transfer the mixture to your glass dish and using your spatula spread evenly and press down firmly, packing in the mixture as tightly as you can.
- Place the dish into the refrigerator or freezer for a few hours (2 to 4) and then remove to cut up into bars and enjoy.
- Store the bars in a covered dish in the refrigerator or freeze for future use.
Notes and Tips
- The flavor of these bars will greatly depend on the nut or seed butter you use and the type of syrup you use. Each one has a distinctly different flavor.
- You can swap sunflower seeds or hemp seeds for pumpkin seeds if desired or preferred.
- You can use finely chopped dates instead of raisins if desired or preferred.
Meal Nutritional Benefits
Oats
- provide healthy carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, and are naturally low in fat
- provide phytonutrients and antioxidants
- provide vitamins, specifically most B vitamins
- provide minerals, especially manganese, molybdenum, selenium, phosphorus, chromium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper
- support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
- support cardiovascular and digestive health
- support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
- for more info, refer to the oats overview on World’s Healthiest Foods
- Health Tips: Avoid processed oat-containing foods, like sugary granola bars. Choose organic oats, as conventional oats are at high-risk of glyphosate contamination. Choose organic stone-ground oat flours for highest safety and nutrient integrity.
Almonds / Almond Butter
- provide healthy fats, protein, some carbohydrates, and fiber
- provide phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits
- provide vitamins, especially vitamin A, E, and most B vitamins, including folate
- provide minerals, especially potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and manganese
- support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
- support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
- protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2, osteoporosis, and other diseases
- for more information, visit the almonds detailed overview from World’s Healthiest Foods
- Tips: Choose organic and raw almonds and almond butter, as conventional almonds and roasted almonds have pesticide, toxin, and other health concerns.
Maple Syrup
- provides mostly simple carbohydrates (sugars) and about 20% fewer calories than honey
- provides antioxidants and phytonutrients
- provides trace amounts of B vitamins
- provides minerals, especially manganese, zinc, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, and magnesium
- serves as a good, natural sweetener option, which provides some nutrition and health benefits
- for more info, see the maple syrup overview on organicfacts.net
Sunflower Seeds
- provide healthy fats, protein, some carbohydrates, and fiber
- provide an excellent source of omega-6 fatty acids
- provide phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits
- provide vitamins, especially vitamin A, C, E, and most B vitamins
- provide minerals, especially phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc
- support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
- support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
- protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2, and other diseases
- for more info, see the sunflower seed overview on World’s Healthiest Foods
Hemp Seeds
- excellent source of healthy fats (35%) and protein (25%)
- provide healthy carbohydrates and fiber
- excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, including an optimal omega-3 to omega-6 ratio (1:3)
- provide phytonutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits
- provide vitamins, especially vitamin A and E, and some B vitamins
- provide minerals, especially phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc
- support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
- support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
- protect against heart disease, cancers, diabetes type 2, and other chronic diseases
- for more information, visit the hemp seed health benefits from Organic Facts
Raisins
- provide healthy carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and are virtually fat-free
- provide lots of phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits
- provide vitamins, especially vitamin C, K, and most of the B vitamins
- provide minerals, especially potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and iron
- support optimal health, energy, weight, healing, and prevention
- support the nervous, immune, and digestive systems
- protect against cardiovascular disease, including cholesterol and blood pressure problems
- for more info, see the raisins overview on Nutrition-and-You
Vanilla
- provides antioxidants and phytonutrients, like vanilloids, and has anti-inflammatory benefits
- provides some B vitamins
- provides some minerals, especially manganese, potassium, copper, and magnesium
- supports healing, prevention, and overall health
- supports cardiovascular and nervous system health
- for more information, visit the vanilla overview from Nutrition-and-You.com Tips: Use the vanilla bean directly or choose pure, natural, and organic vanilla extracts. Avoid synthetic vanilla and similar artificial vanilla products.
Cinnamon
- not a significant source of calories or macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein)
- provides lots of phytonutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties
- provides vitamins, including vitamin A, K, and some B vitamins
- provides minerals, especially calcium, potassium, and iron
- supports optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
- supports optimal digestion and immune protection
- supports healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
- protects against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2, and other diseases
- for more info, see the cinnamon overview on World’s Healthiest Foods