Granola Bars are not just packed with nutrients but also loaded with a burst of succulent flavors and rich nutty texture. It’s a healthy recipe that makes a perfect snack!
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This healthy Granola Bar recipe is made without the use of heat. So, you don’t even need an oven or stove to make this healthy recipe!
How to Make Granola Bars
There’s nothing more satisfying than a guilt-free granola bar to save the day!
Ingredients
Jumbo oats
Jumbo oats are rich in vitamins and antioxidants to aid in weight loss. It gives off a slightly nutty taste coupled with a chewy and crunchy texture.
Aside from using oats for granola bars, you can also enjoy them in Overnight Oats and Oats Breakfast Smoothie!
Nuts
For this recipe, three nut varieties will be used: cashew, almond, and pine nuts. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants to help with heart health. It also has a nutty and earthy flavor.
Seeds
Pumpkin, sesame, and chia seeds will be excellent ingredients for this recipe. They can improve heart function, regulate blood cholesterol levels, and reduce oxidative stress.
Banana chips
Banana chips are loaded with potassium and fiber. They have a rich, full, and sweet flavor with a crispy and chewy texture.
Dried mangoes
Dried mangoes are abundant in vitamin C. It has a tangy and sweet flavor with a crusty texture to give your granola bars that extra crunch.
Raw and dried goji berries
Goji berries can help your body regulate blood sugar. It can be sour with a hint of herbal flavor and a soft and rich texture when consumed.
Dried cranberries
Dried cranberries are perfect for muscle relaxation. It is sweet and sour with a bit of bitter taste that goes well with its sumptuous texture.
Pitted dates
Pitted dates are some of the sweeteners to be used for this recipe. Moreover, it aids in brain function and energy. Dates have a sweet and tangy taste with a caramel-like consistency when processed.
Honey
Honey can improve your memory, mood, and blood pressure. Even a bit of honey will give you a great concoction of sweet, fruity, and spicy taste. It even has a rich, thick, and smooth texture.
From these ingredients, I’m sure you can already tell that it has the quality of being sweet without making you feel guilty about calories and weight gain!
Directions
- In a bowl, combine jumbo oats, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, dried cranberries, dried mango, goji berries, dried banana, whole chia seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Set it aside.
- In a food processor, blend the pitted dates and honey until smooth.
- Use a spatula or your hands to combine the two mixtures together.
- Coat the dry ingredients with the sweetener to allow it to form into granola bars later on.
- Spread the mixture evenly on the baking tray and compress it with a rolling pin or wooden hammer over parchment paper.
- Refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.
- Remove it from the pan and slice it according to your preferred sizes.
Now, you are ready to add granola goodness to your diet! What a fun, easy, and delicious way to lose weight and stay healthy, right? It’s sweet, nutritious, and utterly satisfying!
Tips
How to Store Jumbo Oats
- According to an article published in Simply Oatmeal, remove as much oxygen as you can before storing the oats in an airtight container or resealable bag.
- Store it in a cool and dry place to prevent pest infestation.
- Jumbo oats can also be refrigerated or frozen to prolong their shelf life.
- Room temperature storage can make it last up to 2 years!
- For opened jumbo oats packages, transfer the oats into airtight containers or vacuum-sealed resealable bags.
How to Store Nuts
In an article by The Spruce Eats, nuts should be stored away from onions or other foods with powerful odors. Shelled nuts can last up to three months at room temperature, six months in the fridge, and a year in the freezer.
You can put them in labeled airtight containers or resealable bags.
How to Make Your Own Dried Fruits
Store-bought dried fruit may have already been cured with preservatives and additives. To save yourself from harmful substances, why not make your own dried fruits, right?
Sundried Fruits
Sun-drying fruits are possible if you live in places with high temperatures. Wash, peel (if needed), slice the fruits into your preferred sizes and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.
Place them under the sun during the day and bring them back in during the night. This can take up to a week.
Oven-dried Fruits
Prepare the fruits by rinsing, peeling (if needed), and cutting the fruits into your desired method. Then, arrange them evenly on a lined baking tray.
In a preheated oven, bake the fruits at 200°F for up to 5 hours or until the fruits are dry and crispy. You can leave the oven door ajar to allow air inside. Once done, let it stand for 12 hours or overnight before storing.
Note that thick fruits require more time to dry in the oven.
Dehydrated Fruits
Wash, peel, and slice the fruits to your liking. You can drizzle a bit of lemon juice over the fruits to slow down oxidation. Spread them evenly on a dehydrator rack and dehydrate them at 125°F.
Dehydrating fruits can last up to more than 6 hours. Once your desired texture is achieved, remove them from the dehydrator and allow them to cool at room temperature.
How to Store Dried Fruits
To ensure that the fruits are evenly dried, allow them to cool and dry evenly at room temperature before storing. You can put them in loosely closed jars or resealable bags. Then, place them in a cool and dry area in your kitchen.
Occasionally shake the containers or bags to prevent fruit slices from sticking together. Every 10 days, check the dried fruits for signs of moisture, molds, and insects.
Dried fruits can last up to several months at room temperature and up to more than a year in the fridge. You can also store them in the freezer to last up to 18 months!
Granola Bar Variations
These no-oven granola bars are vegan, gluten-free, keto, and dairy-free! However, this is not suitable for people with nut allergies.
You can use coconut chips or flakes, cereal, raisins, and wheat germ as a substitute for nuts. You can also use other dried fruits that you like.
MORE GUILT-FREE SNACKS
Recommended Tools
- Food Processor: Use the food processor to make the sweetener.
- Glass Bowl: Combine the ingredients in a deep glass bowl.
- Silicone Spatula: Mix the ingredients together with a spatula.
- Silicone Mould: Transfer the granola mixture into a silicone mold to form.
- Baking Tray: Let the granola form in a baking tray.
- Baking Paper: Line the baking pan with baking paper.
- Rolling pin: Even out the granola mixture on the mold or baking pan.
- Knife: Prepare the fruits with a knife and use it to slice the granola bars.
- Parchment paper: Wrap the granola bars in parchment paper to pack and store.
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How to Serve Granola Bars
Granola bars are perfect as breakfast meals or snacks for a long day! Just imagine, biting into the sweet and crunchy goodness of the granola bars to satisfy your appetite and fuel you with energy!
They can even serve as substitutes for desserts to enjoy a healthier meal. Moreover, granola bars are great for pre-workout or post-workout meals. You can eat it with yogurt, fresh fruits, smoothies, and more!
Here are some of the best drink options you can relish with your granola bars:
Storage Tips
The key to preserving granola bars is to wrap them in parchment paper.
- At room temperature: It can last up to several days at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Granola Bars healthy?
Granola bars are absolutely healthy, especially if you make them with quality ingredients. In fact, you can even make the dried fruits from scratch for a more nutritious meal.
With granola bars, you are served with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to aid in digestion, metabolism, heart health, eyesight, bone health, blood sugar levels, weight loss, and more!
What is a granola bar?
The granola bar is a mixture of oats, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and sweeteners for a balance in flavor and texture.
Are granola bars okay for weight loss?
According to Washingtonian, granola bars are more suitable for energy and not weight loss per se.
What if you don’t have a food processor?
For the sweetener, the food processor is the best way to transform it into a paste-like consistency but you can also use a blender, miller, grinder, or mortar and pestle.
Granola Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Oats
- 2 cups whole grain jumbo oats
Nuts
- 1 cup raw cashew nuts
- 1 cup raw almond nuts
- ¼ cup pine nuts
Seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
Dried Fruits
- ½ cup banana chips
- ½ cup dried mango
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup goji berries
- ¼ cup dried goji berries
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup raw honey
- 1 cup pitted dates (or 30 pieces)
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients.In a bowl, combine jumbo oats, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, dried cranberries, dried mango, goji berries, dried banana, whole chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and mix until well combined. Set it aside.
- Make the sweetener. In a food processor, blend the pitted dates and honey until smooth. It will have a thick, smooth, and grainy texture to help with the structure of the granola bars.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the sweetener. You can use a spatula or your hands to combine the two mixtures together. Coat the dry ingredients with the sweetener to allow it to form into granola bars later on. Distribute the flavors evenly.
- Transfer into a lined rectangular baking pan or silicone cereal bar mold. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking pan and compress it with a rolling pin or wooden hammer over parchment paper. Alternatively, spread it evenly on a silicone cereal bar mold using a rolling pin. Refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.
- Prepare to serve. If you used the silicone cereal bar mold, gently remove the bars from the mold and transfer them onto a plate or parchment paper to serve or pack. On the other hand, if you used the baking tray, remove it from the pan and slice it according to your preferred sizes.
Video
Notes
- Use your hands to mix the dry ingredients and the sweetener mixture.
- Wrap the granola bars in parchment paper and store them in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags to prolong shelf life.
- Instead of pressing the mixture into a baking pan, you can spread it evenly on a silicone cereal bar mold using a rolling pin.
- If you used the silicone cereal bar mold, gently remove the bars from the mold and transfer them onto a plate or parchment paper to serve or pack.
- Limit consumption to 50 grams of granola every day.
- Granola bars that are too soft may be due to the lack of sweeteners that combine the ingredients together.
- You can try adding more honey to the pitted dates before blending them in the food processor.
- Furthermore, ensure that you are coating all of the ingredients in the sweetener to allow them to adhere and stick together.
Nutrition
