Wednesday, March 24, 2010

HEALTHY NO-BAKE GRANOLA BARS

When I'm not busy eating the things I love, like cakes and other treats, I actually try to eat pretty healthy. I try to at least do the obvious things, you know: eat lots of fruit and veggies, drink lots of water, force myself to exercise regularly...then treat myself to a cookie or 5 :) 

Lately, I've been on a bit of a cleanse. I decided that for one month, I would not have any dairy or wheat and only eat clean, alkaline and organic meals. I actually feel really great and have grown to love things like almond milk and green juices. I started buying those yummy health bars you always see in Whole Foods, like those Active Greens bars and Larabars (the coconut cream pie one is seriously amazing). That's when I thought, why am I not making these myself?

I've always loved granola bars; with all that butter and sugar that's usually in them, who wouldn't love them? So I attempted these unbaked, semi-raw health bars with no refined sugars or anything and they really turned out lovely! They are sticky and chewy with lot's of bite and nuttiness. These are some serious super powered bars that will give you a huge boost of energy and all the omega 3's you will ever need. I hope to make these more often, post cleanse.

Healthy No-Bake Granola Bars:
(makes 8-10 large slabs)
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup millet puffs
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 10 unsweetened medjool dates (pitted, chopped and mashed)
  • 1/3 cup raw almond butter
  • 1/4 cup organic, extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar

In a large bowl, add the oats, flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, millet puffs and coconut flakes.

Then add the mashed dates, almond butter, agave nectar and coconut oil.

Scrunch the mixture with your hands until evenly and well combined. The mixture should easily stick together when you press it with your hands.


Line a baking dish or something similar with plastic wrap and then press the mixture into the dish firmly until even.

Cover tightly with more plastic wrap and then place the baking dish in the freezer for a few hours.

Remove slate of granola from the pan by flipping it upside down on a work surface, it should slip out easily because of the plastic wrap.



Cut the granola bars into slices and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap or wax paper and store in the refrigerator.

44 comments:

  1. They look great! I am the same way. I have been eating super healthy lately and have actually gone 2 weeks without bread, potaotes or rice! Its a first. I've had really amazing results with it :). Thanks for sharing something healthy to snack on.
    Be sure to check out my new and improved website daaaahling, and enter my Amazon giveaway.
    *kisses* HH

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  2. Excellent recipe!! Those look fantastic!

    Blessings-
    AManda

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  3. These sound so good. I am always looking for new ways to enjoy breakfast and I love the no-bake aspect.

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  4. These sound great! I prefer to make mine from scratch, rather than buying them from the grocery store. You never know how much butter and sugar they've added and I like mine healthy!

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  5. I've had that same thought many times so thanks for this recipe. They look so good! I haven't experimented with chia seeds before so I need to make these to try them out. Love all the grainy,nutty goodness here.

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  6. I've never made a no-bake granola bar before, but these look awesome! I've been on a granola bar baking kick but it's time for a new version, so this is great. Thanks!

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  7. These look really good. I love the variety of seeds, and grains, very pretty!

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  8. I love brining granola bars to tide me over between classes and keep me from bingeing before dinner. These no-bake bars look so delicious. Question: are they crunchy or chewy? I'll take either but will admit to a preference for the latter. 8-)

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  9. Soft and chewy and sticky and yummy!
    Haha, thanks for stopping by :)

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  10. Your photos are GORGEOUS! Absolutely beautiful! I am actually doing the same thing - for Lent I gave up processed foods, dairy, and gluten - and it's turned into me constantly eating vegan for some reason! I am obsessed with almond milk, I eat tons of salads, tofu, and seitan and I feel better than ever! I'm not vegan (I'll eat dairy, meat, fish, or chicken if they are around!) but I want to continue this! I'm going to have to add these bars to my list!

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  11. Instead of leaving them in the freezer for 2 hours will leaving them in the fridge overnight have the same effect? x

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  12. Oooh, those look delicious. Thrilled to hear that they're chewy... I may have to make these. Definitely bookmarking this. :)

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  13. I haven't tried leaving them in the fridge overnight...the reason I put them in the freezer is because it then solidifies enough to easily be cut into bars and then wrapped.

    The bars hold their shape well when stored in the fridge, but I think it may be to fragile to be cut when fridge soft.

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  14. i found your blog through tastespotting and I love this granola bar recipe - I've been making my own granola and granola bars for a while but the baking way still makes my bars crumble somewhat... do you think using maple syrup would yield the same effect as the agave?

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  15. Absolutely!
    Maple syrup would be perfect and sooo delicious! :)

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  16. It's all about a healthy balance and enjoying what you eat. Who wouldn't enjoy these beauties? GREG

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  17. Such a healthy recipe. I've running a lot lately and need quick energy bars. The look delicious too!

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  18. They look superb........especially being no-bake. Love the healthy, spring, living colours

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  19. They look so healthy and delicious - the perfect snack on the go. Nicely done.

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  20. these look excellent! I am making a version if this this weekend - thanks for the inspiration!

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  21. Way to go on the awesome healthy diet! And I can't believe they have a coconut cream pie Larabar! I love those bars.
    I also love that this is a no-bake recipe and yet they stay in one piece, will have to give these a try (since I just don't think I can possibly give up my cheese).

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  22. This is totally my kind of treat! Love all the healthy ingredients...nice way to use the chia seeds. High energy goodness!

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  23. These look so tempting! I could see myself eating them every morning for months on end! Great photography too.

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  24. wow your are doing so well and this looks great so so healthy
    have a great birthday lol Rebecca

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  25. The Granola Bars are fabulous! I am looking at it and wishing I had them for breakfast!
    Would you be interested in participating in a giveaway happening at my blog? It ends tomorrow.

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  26. Okay! I so need to start being good! I've got what I now refer to as my "blogging spare tire!" YIKES!!! These look really delicious!

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  27. I would love to be eating one of your granola bars now :) They look awesome and delicious :) Healthy eating rocks!!

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  28. they look so much better than anything storebought! yum, and healthy too!

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  29. They look so healthy and hearty! Congrats on changing your diet!

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  30. Oh good for you! I am supposed to be "going healthy" now so I can lose that extra layer I somehow put on this winter but also for hubby's health, so less cake! These bars may be the answer! They look fantastic!

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  31. Dear Heavenly Houseife - Your granola bars look absolutely delicious. I'm a poor college sophomore who tries to balance healthy food choices, easy preparation, and easy on the purse strings. For these bars I'm concerned about the cost. I can see this recipe becoming very expensive. How does it compare with, let's say, a box of Kashi bars?
    Thanks, Student in Debt

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  32. Any idea what would need to be changed (and still keep as healthy as possible) but to be able to ship them to college students who need healthier alternatives? Wouldn't be able to keep them refrigerated...

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  33. As long as they're packed tight and well it will be absolutely fine to ship them exactly as they are. Just tell the person you're sending them to, to refrigerate them when they arrive before eating.

    These bars are also great crumbled up and eaten as granola!

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  34. Hi. I just wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe. These bars are AMAZING and SO healthy!

    I have made them 4 times now and I have a few tips/recommendations that helped me for those of you who plan on making them.

    The biggest pain for me was chopping the dates. It was like cutting chewed gum. I passed the recipe on to a friend who suggested using kitchen scissors. SO much easier. Just cut down the center, remove the pit, then cut into slices and then into tiny pieces. I don’t mash them afterward, the small pieces seem to working beautifully.

    Grind the flax seeds. If you don’t grind the seeds, most of them will pass right through your system without absorbing any of the nutrients. I put them in my blender and pulse for a few seconds.

    Melt the coconut oil before you add it. This is probably a no-brainer, but I didn’t do it the first time. The bars had a nice coconut flavor, but they didn’t stay together as well as when I melted it.

    I also double the ingredients, with the exception of the almond butter. I use 1/3 cup almond and 1/3 cup peanut butter, just to make the flavor a little more peanut-ty. I also add 1 ½ bars of 85% dark chocolate. I do that because that turns these bars into something that my 4 year old daughter will eat for dessert. Oh, and I love chocolate, so all the better! J

    I have this great 12x12 pan that came with my toaster oven that works perfectly for a double batch of this recipe (and it fits in my side by side small freezer).

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  35. I'm so glad you like the bars!

    Great tips too, however in order to keep these bars as raw as possible for maximum nutrients I wouldn't advise heating the coconut oil, but if it works for you that's great! :)

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  36. I will be making these today! I am just worried that they will be too sweet? I am not huge sweet person. I get to experiment with Chia seeds too! I hope I can find them! Love your site.....your photography is amazing, you write amazing and your recipes are to die for. My next big one will be your Early Grey Tea Lavender Scones. I grow my own Lavender I now I know what i can do with it other than for scent in the house :))))) Yum!

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  37. Thank you so much for your lovely comment :)

    These bars are definitely not too sweet, you can always control the sweetness with the amount of dates and agave you put in.

    I wish I grew my own lavender, sounds wonderful!

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  38. so, I made them and they turned out great! The only thing is that it was a little sweet but next time I will cut out some coconut and some of the agave. Does the coconut oil make it sweet as well? I noticed that after I took them out of the freezer it had an oily base at the bottom of the granola bars from what I am guessing is the coconut oil. I didn't use extra virgin and I am wondering if that had something to do with it? Other than that they taste AWESOME!

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  39. If you found them to be too sweet then I would cut down on the dates or agave. The coconut oil doesn't affect the sweetness.

    Raw bars will always have an oily base to it, but the benefits are worth it!

    I would definitely recommend you use extra virgin coconut oil, the nutrients are very high.

    Glad you enjoyed them!

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  40. These were AWESOME! I loved them and wish I could eat some at this moment. It was my first experience buying some of those organic products and was shocked when I went to check out.

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  41. I really want to try this recipe, but I would need a substitute for the almond butter as I have an allergy to all nuts...what would you recommend to use in it's place?

    Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. I'm no expert but I have heard that people with nut allergies use sunflower seed butter as a substitute. Hope that helped! :)

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