This is a guest post by Jen Hansard, author of the Simple Green Smoothies blog and cookbook and newly released Simple Green Meals cookbook.
Hey there! I’m Jen Hansard of SimpleGreenSmoothies.com, where I create tasty plant-based recipes to help you and your family fuel your passions.
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Granola Bars of My Childhood
I grew up on Nature’s Valley granola bars; my dad would get the Costco size, and between the 5 of us, they would be gone in a week. We were always on the go and needed something quick to grab! Now I’m in the same boat with my own kids—gymnastics, baseball, church, friends, orthodontist, road trips, hikes, etc…we’ve always got something fun to run to—which is why I decided it was ’bout time to create my own family-friendly granola bar for my new cookbook, Simple Green Meals.
How It All Started with a Green Smoothie
How did I make the leap from packaged granola bars to making my own? Well, it all started with a daily green smoothie. Yet not just any smoothie, it was a special one that tasted amazing and my kids would drink too. We call it Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie. I made this every single day to keep our immune systems strong, and I quickly saw my energy levels soar. It was through this daily habit that I began to crave healthier foods. So I began swapping out my go-to foods like Lucky Charms and bean burritos for fresh vegetable dishes—and I actually enjoyed it. I had primed my body for healthy, fresh food with a daily green smoothie, and the journey has been incredible!
Homemade Plant-Based Granola Bars
The plant-powered recipe I wanted to share with 100 Days of Real Food readers is a delicious and nutritious snack on the go. Healthy choices should be quick, tasty, and a winner for the whole family, right? Well, these homemade granola bars are right there for ya! They are also delicious lightly toasted with some almond butter on top and a drizzle of honey. Bon appetit!
Maple Almond Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free )
- 1/2 cup almond flour ((or almond meal))
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup raisins ((optional))
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch nutmeg (ground)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, almond meal or flour, almonds, maple syrup, raisins (if using), almond butter, chia seeds, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges. Let cool completely in the pan.
- Cut into 8 rectangles. They will keep for about 1 week if wrapped well and stored in a cool place.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
For more simple, plant-powered recipes the entire family will love, check out my new book Simple Green Meals.
Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup of coconut flour – firms it right up and still tasty!
Also looking for a maple syrup alternative… any ideas?
I also am wondering how to make them fall apart less! Very crumbly!
Hi Candice, make sure you are letting them cool off completely before breaking them apart.
Made these today and they are delicious but mine are totally falling apart. I will have to turn these into granola pieces (which is fun too). Any suggestions for making them stick together better? I cooked them extra time even. What ingredient is the binding agent?
These are delicious, but do not stick together. They just fall apart. Had to eat with a spoon. Any suggestions on making them stick together better? I also used Peanut Butter instead of almond butter, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. What would happen if you added an egg?
Thanks for great recipes!
So so delicious. definitely gonna try this soon and i will get back to you on this after that
thanks for sharing
Hi Jen, thanks for sharing such a healthy bar recipe. The image looks really tasty.
I would like to remove the maple syrup to make a lower sugar bar but wondered if I need to make any other adjustments in doing this? Thanks!
I don’t think the question of crunchy or chewy was answered. I would also like to know before trying these. Thank you.
Mine are more chewy than crunchy. Really good but they do fall apart easily – BUT I did use peanut butter instead of almond butter, I have no idea if that makes a difference!
ARE THESE BASRS CRISPY OR SOFT ???
HAVE A TEXTURE ISSUE TO DEAL WITH …………
ALSO, SCHOOLS IN CANADA REFUSE ANY FOOD WITH NUTS, INCLUDING SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER WHICH MAKES NO SENSE BUT THEY ARE THE BOSS. EVERYTHING NEEDS A NUT FREE INSIGNIA OR RECIPE ATTACHED. WHAT MIGHT YOU SUGGEST TO REPLACE THE BINDING NUT BUTTER ? SUCH A GOOD SOURCE OF PROTIEN TOSSED OUT THE WINDOW !!! SAD. THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE INSTEAD OF PENALIZING THE NON-ALERGIC KIDS.
Wow! That is a lot to handle with school lunches! Instead of a nut butter OR seed butter, you might be able to just remove it. They are more in the recipe for a boost of protein and a binding agent. I might suggest swapping out the maple syrup for maple butter which is SUPER thick to help it bind together (and it tastes AMAZING!!!)
THANKS … NEVER HEARD OF MAPLE BUTTER. BUT THEN TO MAKE THE BARS AS WHOLESOME AS YOURS, I’D STILL NEED TO ADD SOMETHING LIKE PROTEIN POWDER PROBABLY. I OFTEN FIND THAT LEADS TO MORE TEXTURE ISSUES. THANKS ANYWAY !
Any chance you have a granola bar recipe that is nut free. Maybe with sunflower seed sand or butter. I have kids with nut allergies.
Scrolling down to the bottom of the recipe you’ll see “Recipe Notes” and she’s listed substitutes on how to make it nut-free!