Who doesn’t love the chewy goodness of a granola bar?  The crispy cereal crunch, the sweet taste of honey on your tongue, and the tanginess of tart fruits…my mouth is already salivating.  Have you ever thought of creating your own?  It’s simple!  Here’s a simple recipe that I use often for my athletes on the road:

Protein Packed Granola Chewsa

Serves 16

Ingredients:

2 cups oatmeal (not the instant variety)

1 cup organic, unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup hemp seeds (no, you can’t plant these and grow anything nor get popped positive on a drug test)

1 cup puffed millet

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried tart cherries

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Butter an 8×12 baking sheet (if you prefer less of a mess line the baking pan with parchment paper).

Mix together oats, coconut, hemp, and puffed millet in a large metal or glass mixing bowl.

In a heavy pot, heat butter, honey, & brown sugar until it comes to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat and add in vanilla extract.  Pour hot mixture over oat mixture.  Add in dried fruit and salt.  Stir and press into baking pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow bars to cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.

These bars are great for the road and will hold up best in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.  Enjoy as a snack, breakfast bar, or crumble in your favorite yogurt. Hope you noticed some “functional foods” being used in the recipe; such as, hemp & tart cherries which are great additions for flavor and their nutritional quality!

Enjoy your grains~

 Just Wendy Jo

Tweet