This breakfast bar is highly versatile. Experiment with a variety of nuts and seeds. It makes a great no-bake granola bar, too. Simply press the dough into an unoiled baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Flavor with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. Add chopped dried fruit, coconut, wheat germ, flax seeds, or chocolate chips AFTER step 4.
Ingredients:
4 C rolled oats
2 T chia seeds
1/2 C walnuts, chopped
1/2 C honey or maple syrup
3/4 C almond butter, melted
Grapeseed oil
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, and walnuts.
3. Add honey or maple syrup and mix to combine.
4. Add melted almond butter. Mix until moistened. You may need to add more honey or almond butter if the dough is too dry.
5. Press dough into a lightly oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
6. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Yields 20-24 bars
Ingredient benefits:
Honey – Depending on the variety, honey contains many friendly bacteria (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria). May promote better blood sugar control because of its nearly 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose, making it an ideal liver fuel. Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal. Effective as a cough suppressant and immune booster.
Chia seeds – An edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica and dates back to Mayan and Aztec cultures. “Chia” means strength and is known for providing energy. An unprocessed, whole food with a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.
Walnuts – Members of the Juglandaceae family. Referred to as “longevity fruit” and brain food. Sweet, bitter, and warming. High fat, medium protein. Contain vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and zinc. Known to strengthen the lungs and kidneys and lubricate the large intestines.
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is; www.howsweeteats.com
Mars, B. (2004). Rawsome! Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications Inc.
