bars - Toffee Granola Bars

By tinathorn

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour (or other similar textured flours could be used)
• 2 tbs ground flax
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts- I used cashews and hazlenuts
• 1/2 cup date syrup (homemade see note) or brown rice syrup- or a bit of each
• 2 tbs coconut butter
• 1/4 tsp stevia
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cacoa nibs or dark chocolate chunks

Details

Adapted from includingcake.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl (excluding cacoa/choc chunks).
Add the wet ingredients (date syrup, coconut butter, peanut butter, vanilla) to a small microwaveable bowl and microwave on medium power for approx. 2 minutes until the coconut butter has melted. (alternatively melt in a saucepan over the hob).
Spoon wet mixture over the dry and mix well- use your hands as the mixture is very stiff! Add cacoa nibs/chocolate chuncks last making sure mixture is cool so chocolate doesn’t melt (if using).
Line an 8” pan with baking parchment and spoon the mixture in pressing it down as level as possible with the back of a spoon.
Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes until the surface is beginning to go golden. Allow to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack for approx. 30 minutes before attempting to slice with a very sharp knife, as otherwise the edges have a greater tendency to crumble.
Note: To make date syrup, soften dates with an equal amount of boiling water. let stand for 30 minutes or so until soft and then blitz in a blender/food procesor until smooth. you can also add a little vanilla extract if desired.