Balanced Bars
I try my best to make smart choices when it comes to snacking but every now and then my personal kryptonite wins out: salt and vinegar chips! To keep myself on the right track I like to make a batch of these bars on the weekend and keep them in the freezer for the perfect healthy grab and go snack during the week.
They are packed full of nuts and seeds which are an important part of a vegan diet and are full of healthy fats, antioxidants, magnesium, zinc and protein. These granola bars are packed full of healthy goodness, will keep you full for a long time and are so delicious it may have you wondering if they really can be that good for you! In true Happy Island Vegan form they are also super easy to make.
First put the oats, walnuts, dates, and coconut into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. You can skip the dates from this recipe but the bars will be more crumbly.
In a separate bowl combine the flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, cinnamon and salt.
Add the oat mixture to the bowl with the seeds and pour in the coconut oil and the sweetener of your choice. I would recommend pure maple syrup or agave for this recipe. Mix together to combine and pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and press firmly down into the pan. You can slice either before or after baking. They may crumble a bit if you slice after baking but any of those bits can be used as granola on top of your favourite plant based yogurt!
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to check them so they do not burn. It is important to make sure these cool completely before removing from the pan. They can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days, if they last that long, or in the freezer for 2 months.
I hope you enjoy these healthy and yummy balanced bars.
Balanced Bars
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Oats
- 3/4 Cup Coconut Flakes unsweetened
- 3/4 Cup Walnut Pieces
- 6 Dates pitted
- 1/3 Cup Flaxseed ground
- 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
- 1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
- 1/3 Cup Whole Almonds
- 1/3 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips
- 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup or Agave
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add oats, coconut, walnuts and dates to food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- In a separate bowl combine all other ingredients except the oil and sweetener and mix to combine.
- Add the oat mixture to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir together. Now add the coconut oil and the maple syrup and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and press down firmly. Try to get the mixture as even as possible.
- You can slice the bars into 24 before or after going into to the oven. If you slice after they may crumble a bit.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes checking at the 20 minute mark to make sure they are not burning.
- Take out of oven and cool completely.
- Store bars in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- You can leave the dates out of this recipe but the bars will be more likely to crumble
- Instead of bars you could put on a baking sheet and stir during cooking to avoid burning and use as granola.
- For a gluten-free bar use gluten-free oats
Veggie Pot Pie
