Posted in Recipes on 21.01.2018
Goji and Quinoa Flake Granola Bars
prep: 20 mins / cook: 25 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 45 mins / quantity: 12 - 15 bars Print recipe?
What is it about a granola bar that makes them so flipping moreish? Is it the chewy oaty texture? The sweet caramel taste? The pops of flavour from fruit, chocolate, nuts etc? I think it’s all of these things and these granola bars contain ALL OF THESE THINGS!
Have you also ever looked at a bought cereal bar and wondered just how healthy it is? Some of the ones we’ve tried in the past have just as much sugar and calories as a regular ‘ol bar of chocolate.
That’s the whole point of making things like this yourself – you know exactly what’s going in it. No E numbers, no unpronounceables, no ‘what the heck is that’?!
I wanted to make these no-bake bars as well but I think toasting the nuts and Quinoa Flakes from Hodmedods really helps bring out that caramel taste.
I make a LOT of bars of things. Always experimenting, often going back to old familiar favourites like these Peanut Butter Protein Bars – thoroughly addictive, it’s practically impossible to eat just one bar! Or these Pecan Pie Bars – no refined butter or sugar but no compromise on taste!
So why quinoa flakes instead of oats? Because the flakes are just rolled and flattened quinoa seeds – so you get all the amazing benefits of quinoa.
– Quinoa is a complete protein and contains all the essential amino acids your body needs that it can’t produce itself.
– This is often hard to find in a plant based diet.
– Oats, whilst also deliciously high in protein, only offer incomplete protein and therefore don’t contain all the essential amino acids.
I also wanted to use them because they’re a finer texture than oats. And alongside the sticky, naturally sweet dates makes these bars oh so delightfully chewy!
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Goji and Quinoa Flake Granola Bars
prep: 20 mins / cook: 25 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 45 mins / quantity: 12 - 15 bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups Hodmedod’s Quinoa Flakes
- 1 cup whole blanched almonds – very roughly chopped (you want the chunks to remain quite large!)
- 1 cup dates – stone removed
- 2 tblsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup goji berries
Optional
- 50g dairy free dark chocolate – our favourites are Doisy and Dam and Conscious Chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 Fan / 190 C / 375 F / Gas 5.
- Tip the quinoa flakes and roughly chopped nuts onto a baking tray and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, give everything a quick stir and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. The nuts and flakes should be very slightly golden
- Put the dates into a food processor and blitz till well chopped and you have a sticky lump!
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan then whisk in the maple syrup and peanut butter.
- Stir the dates into the peanut butter mixture, breaking up the sticky date ball until everything is well incorporated
- Tip the toasted flakes and nuts into a large bowl, add the goji berries then the peanut butter mixture
- Stir very well, making sure all the nuts and flakes are well coated
- Line a 9 x 9 inch square or 7 x 9 pan or dish with cling film or greaseproof then tip your mixture in, flattening the surface. I push the mixture out to the corners with a spoon or my hands then use the bottom of a glass to gently but firmly, tightly compact the mixture
- Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting into 12-15 bars
- Optional: If you're adding the chocolate drizzle then simply break the chocolate into chunks and melt in the microwave or over a bain marie
- You can cut the bars before drizzling over the chocolate or drizzle it over the whole thing then cut it into bars, up to you! I used a tiny paper piping bag for drizzling but you can also use a spoon or sandwich bag with the corner snipped off ?
Some products I used in today's post...
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Hello and welcome to The Cook & Him.
We are Sam (The Cook), Phil (Him) and our little dog Nooch. What started with a plan to shed a few pounds back in 2016, soon became obvious that eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland and boring.
So, combining Sam’s 15 years of experience working within Michelin starred restaurants and our love for deliciously healthy food, we’re creating recipes for you to make and enjoy. We’ve added our own unique spin on traditional and contemporary vegetarian and vegan recipes that keep you (and your pets!) healthy and full. And we make sure they just work.
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