Recipes

 

Honey-Almond Granola Bars

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats                                1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup slivered almonds                                         1/3 cup chopped golden raisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds                                          *1/4 cup creamy almond butter

1 tablespoon flaxseeds, preferably golden              * 1/4 cup turbinado sugar

1 tablespoon sesame seeds                                      1/4 cup honey

*1 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal      1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup currants

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. 
2. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a large, rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan every 10 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add cereal, currants, apricots and raisins; toss to combine. 
3. Combine almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes. 
4. Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain.  Transfer to the prepared pan.  Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer (wait until the mixture cools slightly if necessary).  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  Cut into 8 bars. 

Per serving: 244 calories; 10g fat (1g sat, 5g mono); 0mg cholesterol; 38g carbohydrates; 15g added sugars; 5g protein; 3g fiber; 74mg sodium; 313mg potassium. 

*Such as Arrowhead Mills puffed Wheat cereal or Kashi’s 7 Whole-Grain Puffs

*Almond butter can be found in the Health Market at Hy-Vee or at Whole Foods

* Turbinado sugar is steam cleaned raw sugar.  It is coarse-grained and light brown in

   color, with a slight molasses flavor.  Can be found in Health Market at Hy-Vee or at

   Whole Foods.

Preparation tips: 

I use a cup of dried fruit total, whatever I have.  You can use dried blueberries, cherries, cherry medley, apples, apricots, raisins, etc.  Make sure to press the bars firmly into the pan.  If you don’t, they will be more crumbly than a store bought granola bar.  I found that cutting the pan into 12 pieces works best.