Matt Xiaxiang
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Main dishesGranola bars
Posted: 09/10/2024Updated: 09/10/2024
Packed with a variety of seeds and dried fruits, and covered with a dark chocolate coating.
Ingredients
Servings
- 100 grams Oats
- 120 grams Dried dates
- 40 grams Whole almonds
- 40 grams Pumpkin seeds
- 40 grams Sunflower seeds
- 40 grams Dried apricots
- 40 grams Dried cranberries
- 60 grams Smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 30 grams Honey
- 30 millilitres Water
- 100 grams Dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C and spread the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds evenly on a baking sheet.
- Toast for about 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- To make the binder, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Add the blended dates to the mixture and continue stirring until it forms a sticky, cohesive binder. If too thick, add a little more water to loosen it slightly.
- Roughly chop the almonds, dried apricots and dried cranberries.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried apricots and cranberries, and the binder. Mix everything together well, ensuring all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Line a small baking dish (about 20 cm x 20 cm) with parchment paper. Transfer the granola mixture into the dish and press it down firmly and evenly with a spatula.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or double boiler until smooth. Drizzle or spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top of the granola mixture.
- Place the dish in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 1–2 hours, or until firm enough to cut.
My notes
Cooking tips
- Toasting: If you want a softer texture, you can skip toasting the oats, seeds, and nuts, although this may result in a less pronounced flavour.
- Don't over-blend the dates: When blending dates for the binder, stop when they reach a paste-like consistency. Over-blending can make them too thin, which might affect how well the bars hold together.
- Press Firmly: When transferring the granola mixture to the pan, press it down firmly. This ensures that the bars hold together and don't crumble when cutting.
- Softer texture: Increase the amount of the date mixture, peanut butter, or honey. This will create a moister consistency.
Alternative ingredients
- The choice of nuts and dried fruits is completely down to personal choice. Other nuts like cashews, walnuts, or pecans work well. Consider adding hemp seeds or chia seeds. Other dried fruits like raisins, dried cherries, dried figs, or dried blueberries.
- If you don’t have dates, you can use figs or raisins as an alternative, blending them into a paste for the binder.
- Instead of peanut butter, you can use any nut butter instead such as almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a different flavour or to make it nut-free.
- You can substitute honey with maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Add some orange zest or lemon zest to the mixture for a fresh, citrusy note that pairs beautifully with dried fruits like cranberries and apricots.
Storage instructions
- Room temperature: Store the granola bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure the bars are fully set before storing to prevent them from sticking together.
- Refrigeration: For longer storage (up to 2 weeks), keep the bars in the fridge. Layer them with parchment or wax paper between each bar to prevent sticking.
- Freezing: Granola bars can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw them at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.
Nutrition and dietary facts
Vegetarian
(Per serving) Calories: 307kcal (14%), Protein: 8.5g (14%), Fat: 14.9g (19%), Saturated fat: 4g (27%), Carbohydrates: 38.7g (14%), Sugars: 21.1g (84%), Fibre: 5.3g (18%)
Note: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.