Helloo beautiful ladies & gentlemen!
Today, we’re talking about some healthy bars.
I know I know, that word “healthy” is overused. What exactly does healthy mean? What is healthy? If you ask people that question, you’re likely to get a variety of answers.
When I say something is healthy, or has healthy ingredients, what I mean is that it contains essential nutrients vital to living our best life.
These bars are packed with ingredients that provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, whole grains, protein, & healthy fats – all nutrients to keep you feeling energized, alert, & FAB-U-LOUS!
That healthy taste.
I’m not going to pretend that these taste like a dessert or chocolate bar or anything. They taste HEALTHY! You will feel good while you eat them, and enjoy them too. They’re slightly chewy, nutty, savory, & totally satisfying.
Vegan, Dairy-free, & gluten-free
Woop woop!
Quick & Easy
You can whip them up super quick. We’re talking about 20 minutes (or less…let’s have a race :-D) to toss the ingredients together + 25 minutes of baking time (when you can wash the few dishes, take the dog out, watch an episode of New Girl, Handmaids Tale, or your fav TV show…) and then they’re READY! You can eat ’em warm, or cool them and wrap them up to have handy whenever a hunger-pang hits.
Use what you have
You can modify the recipe to use what you have on hand. Feel free to use your fav nut butter in place of the almond butter/peanut butter; pecans or walnuts in place of the almonds; pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds; dried apricots in place of the raisins — totally adaptable! Also, I used maple syrup for sweetener. If you’d prefer honey is another great option (if you aren’t making them vegan).
They’re perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even warmed up as a *healthy* dessert! Hunger, be gone!
Let’s DO this!
Tag @fetchinggoodies on Instagram! I love to see & share your baking!
HEALTH BARS RECIPE
Gluten-free | Dairy-free | Vegan
Makes one 8×8 inch pan — about 12 bars
Ingredients:
1 cup oats (make sure they’re gluten-free, if you need them to be)
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 TBS chia seeds
1 TBS flaxseeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped dried fruit – I used raisins
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup almond butter, peanut butter, or any nut butter
2 TBS maple syrup
Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle on top
Directions:
1) Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set that aside for now.
2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, quinoa, chia seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, salt, cinnamon, and dried fruit. Mix ’em all together.
4) Add in the mashed banana.
5) In a small bowl, microwave the peanut butter and maple syrup for 30 seconds. Mix them together, and then add those to the rest of your ingredients. Give everything a good, gentle mix with a rubber spatula until it’s all combined.
6) Dump Nicely spread the dough evenly into your prepared parchment-lined pan. Sprinkle on some flaky sea salt. SO GOOD! I recommend Maldon Sea Salt.
7) Bake the bars in the 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown.
8) Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool in the pan completely. OR, if you want to try them warm, allow them to cool for about 20 minutes. Cut, & serve!
9) If you want to package them up to have for later, allow them to cool completely first. Then store them in an airtight container.
10) They’ll stay moist and fresh for about a week– if they last that long!!
These are perfect for a super-quick breakfast, snack when that 2-3pm hunger hits, or even as a healthified desserts. Great for the whole family.
Tag @fetchinggoodies on Instagram! I love to see & share your baking!
Happy, healthy baking y’all!!
The post HEALTH Breakfast-Snack-Anytime Bars! (vegan | gluten-free) appeared first on The Fetching Foodie.
