No-Bake Granola Bars

Don’t ever let Monday catch you unprepared. Otherwise, you’ll likely be playing catch up all week. Read: ALL week. Yep, I’ve been there many times… Also, am I the only one that feels the weekend getting shorter as the weather gets warmer? So much to do, so little time… it’s that feeling of- “Hey weekend. Bye [fleeting] weekend!” that we’ve all come to dread and expect.

Whereas in our (very long) Canadian Winter- we feel we have a lot more time because we’re outdoor a lot less. I even have to “find things to do” for the kids & myself. We usually go to the museum, to our favorite indoor playground and- even our weekly trip to the grocery store is technically considered “an outing”. Oh and we eat our lunch at Whole Foods, too. Anything to delay our return home & maximize our time outside. And to save me from (yet) another pile of dishes.

It’s Spring and am trying to tackle groceries during the week; so the weekend can be spent doing other, (more worthy) outdoorsy things. Meal prep is always a part of my weekend, regardless of the season or time of year we’re in. Cue in these amazing little treats/breakfast/life-lines. Side Note: They’re highly addictive but made with ALL good things.

These no-bake granola to-go bars only involve 10 mins of active prep time! And, they don’t even require a food processor. You read that right. All you need is a big ol’ bowl to mix everything together, the ingredients, some parchment paper, and a baking pan. But you won’t bake, you’ll freeze to set. SO much easier!

They’re also the perfect little portable breakfast or snack to carry to work, to the park, to fuel post-run, or even for a little picnic outdoors with some fruit and dips and fresh-cut veggies. These bars are, simply put- “meal prep gold”. They’ve also saved me countless amounts of calories, refined sugars and money. Because yep- I was that girl that would buy the healthy gourmet energy bar or nut bar at every single coffee shop that had one. And with my purse-friendly homemade version, I know exactly what’s in it- and I can change up the flavors week to week. Read along and I’ll show you how; because the options are pretty endless!

You can easily customize these bars so they’re made with your favorite things; and the base is composed of three simple ingredients: walnuts, old-fashioned rolled oats and nut butter. Super versatile, super quick and beyond delicious!! Let’s dig right in…

Servings: 14-16 bars
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Ingredients

2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten free)
1 cup of your choice peanut butter OR sunflower butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup your choice of raw honey or raw agave syrup for vegan options *for sweeter bars, try 1/3 cup
3/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I use dairy-free ones)
3 tbsp of hemp hearts
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp of collagen powder (optional)
1 tbsp of lucuma powder (optional) gives it a nice, caramel-like taste!

Substitutions:

Instead of chocolate chips: try cranberries, golden raisins, goji berries or mulberries.
Instead of walnuts: try pepitas, cashews or almonds
Instead of agave or raw honey: try rice malt syrup or date nectar
Instead of peanut or sunflower butter: try almond or hazelnut butter.

Instructions

Melt the peanut butter or sunflower butter first, along with the coconut oil in a sauce pan over low heat for easier mixing. Whisk well to integrate. Allow it to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine ALL of the dry ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) with the melted peanut or sunflower butter mixture, ensuring to coat evenly. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper and press the mixture onto the pan using clean hands or a spatula. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until it settles. Remove, cut into bars & enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

By: Aleyda | The Dish On Healthy