Tropical Chewy Granola Bars

By á-29897

I used ripe bananas as the liquid binding agent, but if you don’t like bananas, replace them with ½ cup of applesauce. You could also use 2 eggs. Instead of the dried fruit I used, feel free to change it up: dried pineapple would be great, as would dates, cranberries, cherries, or raisins. Of course this will change the flavour a great deal, but if you want to adapt the recipe to the seasons and what is available, you most certainly can do that. Replace the buckwheat with oats if desired, the honey with maple syrup, the coconut oil with butter or ghee. And if macadamia nuts are unavailable, any nut will do – almonds, pecans, or cashews would be really good in these.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. chia seeds + 6 Tbsp. water
• 2 cups / 200g rolled oats (certified gluten-free if possible)
• 1/2 cup / 150g raw buckwheat groats
• 1 cup / 50g coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup / 100g macadamia nuts, chopped
• 60 g / 2 oz. dried banana, chopped (or Medjool dates)
• 60 g / 2 oz. dried mango, chopped
• 1/4 cup / 60ml coconut oil
• 1/3 cup / 80ml honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp. extract)
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from mynewroots.org

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small bowl, combine chia seeds and water to make a gel. Set aside.
2. Spread the oats, buckwheat, coconut and macadamia nuts out on a baking sheet and place in a 300°F / 150°C oven. Stir every 5 minutes or so, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. While the oat mixture is toasting, make the liquid. In a small saucepan combine coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Whisk over low-medium heat until melted and thoroughly combined.
4. In a food processor or blender, blend peeled bananas with the honey and oil mixture. Blend until smooth. Pulse in chia gel gently, just to combine>
5. In a large mixing bowl combine toasted oat mixture, sea salt, and chopped dried fruit. Pour in the liquid and stir well to combine.
6. Turn the oven up to 350°F / 175°C. Spread a large piece of parchment paper in a 8” x 8” (20 x 20 cm) baking pan, overlapping the sides. Pour the granola bar mixture into the pan and press down firmly with a spatula, especially in the corners. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top and around the edges.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. To take the granola slab out of the pan, simply lift up the sides of the parchment. Place on a flat surface and cut into rectangles or squares (12-16, depending on the size). Store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Best if kept cold, as this prevents the bars from crumbling.