Homemade Granola Bars for Grab and Go Snacks

 

I hate packing a last minute snacks when I'm in a hurry.This usually comes up when it's time to leave for Church or Baseball practice.

So, I went to the health food store and bought a few boxes of natural fig bars and whole wheat blueberry bars but let's face it, these things are NOT real food either. They are shelf stable food-like products that I really don't want my children eating.

So, I thought, I need to come up with a nourishing, grab and go treat for the kids and this is what I came up with.

Homemade Granola Bars

1/2 cup nut butter

1/4 cup of honey or sweetener of your choice

(a mashed ripe banana will work well but not keep as long)

1/4 cup of coconut oil

1 cup of oats (or for grain-free, use one cup chopped nuts)

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup roasted sun flower seeds

1/3 roasted pumpkin seeds

(optional) 1/3 cup of dried fruit

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of whey (omit if you are not using grains)

In a sauce pan melt the nut butter, honey and coconut oil together until well blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool until it can be touched (do not let it cool completely).

 

Add the rest of your ingredients

 

I section the ingredients out into cups I place around the table, I then place the nut butter mix in the middle and let the kids pour the other ingredients in. They really like this!

 

Stir it all together and spread it out on a flat pan.

 

Let the mixture sit on your counter top for 24 hours (omit this step if you are not using grains),

then pop it in the fridge.

 

When it has firmed up, cut it into bars, wrap them in baggies or parchment paper, store in the fridge :-)

It's that easy!

If you want to know how to make whey here's how...

 

Place one cup of plain, unsweetened whole milk yogurt in a coffee filter and place the coffee strainer and filter over a glass jar. The whey will drip out from the yogurt into your jar. :)