Back in the day, store-bought granola bars were one of my favourite go-to snacks – they are so convenient, delicious and healthy (right?). Well, that is, until you start to read into the details and long list of ingredients (six types of added sugars, artificial flavouring, trans fats? no thank you!)
This inspired me to create my own homemade recipe that is naturally sweetened (bananas and 3 tbsp pure honey) and made with only whole ingredients (nuts, oats, seeds, almond butter, cinnamon, need I say more?!). This recipe is my NEW go-to healthy, convenient snack. It’s also a great way to use up the old bananas sitting in your freezer!
Try making a batch today!
Serves: 20
Ingredients:
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup pecans, chopped*
½ cup almonds, chopped*
1 cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup dried cranberries, chopped
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup ground flaxseed
3 tbsp honey
¼ cup almond butter*
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with a piece of parchment paper (with overhang).
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Stir in the applesauce, oats and vanilla.
- Add the pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, ground flaxseed, honey, almond butter, cinnamon, and salt to the oat mixture and stir until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to smooth out the mixture until evenly distributed.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Gently lift the baked granola slab by grabbing the parchment paper overhang and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- Once cool, slice into bars. Wrap up leftovers and store in the fridge for a week or store them in the freezer for a month.
* For a nut-free version, substitute the nuts and nut butter for seeds and seed butter of choice!
