Grain-Free Seed “Granola” Bars
By: Chef Andrew Johnson
Photographed By: Anne Watson
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 12
If you want a grain-free alternative to granola bars, look no further than this delicious and fun-to-make recipe. Packed with filling, powerful ingredients, this snack is perfect for midday pick-me-ups!
Nutrition:
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 360
Total Fat: 29 grams
Net Carb: 14 grams (reduced to 4 net grams by eliminating dried fruit and substituting Lakanto for honey)
Protein: 11 grams
Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup cashews (toasted)
1⁄2 cup flax seeds
1⁄2 cup dried Fruit
1⁄4 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
2 tablespoons cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons coconut oil (or unsalted butter), melted 1/3 cup almond butter
1⁄3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Place sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and cashews inside a food processor. If using large pieces of dried fruit you can also add them to the processor at this time or chop them by hand. Pulse ingredients for a short time. You aren’t trying to get them super tiny, larger chunks are okay. Add the coconut, chopped dried fruit, and chocolate chips to the mixture.
Using a separate bowl and fork, blend remaining wet ingredients (coconut oil, almond butter, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt). Then, add the mixture from the food processor into the wet mixture and combine by hand.
Scoop the mixture out onto a flat surface lined with parchment paper. Press firmly and evenly to make a flat square in your desired thickness, then cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
Alternatively, kids can each make an individual portion. Place the following into a plastic bag and allow kids to "squish" the bag to combine the ingredients and cut into desired shapes:
1 1⁄2 tablespoons each of the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews
1 1⁄2 teaspoons of the flax seeds and dried fruit
1 teaspoon each of the coconut shreds and the coconut oil
1 tablespoon of almond butter
1 teaspoon of the honey
2 drops vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the sea salt
