All-Natural Granola Bars

I love making things that are good for you and don’t taste like it.

Take this puppy, for example. It reeks of health, what with the oats and seeds and nuts and other things that your colon loves to love. But it also tastes like a treat- something you’ll truly have to ration. It’s the Medjool magic, I’m telling you. (Medjool dates are mindblowingly good. They add sweetness to these bars [and life in general], and still manage to be healthy. Try to get Medjool dates, and not some other lowly date on the totem pole.) Yes, the cup of maple syrup* has something to do with the whole “coming back for more” thing you’ll be up to when you make these, but really- it’s natural, has lots of zinc, and come on. This site is called More Sweets, Please. Not No Sweets, Please.

Adapted from Bon Appetit’s recipe…

6 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1 cup pure maple syrup* (preferably Grade B)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup raw almonds, toasted and chopped

½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

½ cup shelled sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

½ teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray and then line with parchment paper, leaving enough of an overhang on long sides of pan to lift out later; spray parchment with nonstick spray (preferably vegetable oil/ canola oil spray).
2. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring dates and maple syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high, and boil for about 8 minutes (stirring frequently; dates should be really soft and syrup should be reduced slightly). Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Mash date mixture with an immersion blender, regular blender, or fork until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Stir in date mixture until evenly coated. Scoop batter into prepared pan and press very firmly and evenly with a rubber spatula to compress until very tightly packed (this is key- press like there’s no tomorrow unless you want loose granola).
4. Bake for about 45 minutes (bars should be slightly darkened in color and firm around the edges; the center should gives just slightly when pressed). Place pan on a cooling rack allow to cool. Remove from pan and slice into bars about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick, using a serrated knife. Store at room temperature.
Tips:
- Can’t get enough dates? I hear ya! You must make these Canadian Date Squares. Buy enough dates to make this granola bar recipe AND the date squares, with extras for you to snack on while you’re baking too. No arguments.
- *Maple syrup notes: okay, listen up. Maple syrup is incredible. When baking, you’ll want to use Grade B because it has a bit of a stronger flavor than the A stuff. When I made this recipe I totally gapped on getting maple syrup, so had to improvise (I didn’t even have agave nectar or else I’d have used that instead, albeit reluctantly). Click here in a few days to see my homemade version of maple syrup. TOTALLY worked out for me. And I had extra to keep for other things (like pouring over yogurt, then adding pecans- holy moly).
- Nuts… you can sub hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts. Or whatever pleases you.
- Vegan? Replace the butter with coconut oil. So there. This is already a gluten-free recipe IF oats can be tolerated (some gluties can, some can’t).
- Feel free to use a stand mixer to stir the date mixture into the oat mixture, if your arm is tired and you want to make sure the date goo is evenly distributed.
- Drape tin foil over the bars as they bake if they are looking dark before they are done.
- Want crispy bars? Place slices on a parchment-lined baking pan and bake at 350° for about 8–10 minutes.
- These freeze well if you want to save for later…
- Enjoy!
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January 15th, 2014 | More Sweets Please | 4 Comments | Tags: Nuts, Oatmeal, Unidentifiable!

4 Responses and Counting...

dottie 01.15.2014

My husband buys granola like it is going out of style. I decided to make this to see if he would like a homemade version better- and he DID! he said it was the BEST granola he’s ever had! I did sub flax seeds for the chia ones mainly because I already had the flax, but it was super tasty, and I am making more over the weekend!
More Sweets Please

This brings me such joy to hear- isn’t it wonderful to make something that people think is better than their store-bought favorites?? Flax seeds sounds like a good addition. You could also chop up other kinds of nuts and mix up the flavor profile that way. Endless possibilities of granola perfection!
dottie

Wondering…. do you think doing 1/2 syrup, 1/2 honey would work?
More Sweets Please

YES- that would be incredible, actually. Honey goes so well with almonds. Agave syrup could work too for a lower glycemic impact, if you even care :)