No Bake Loaded Granola Bars
NOW® partner and NY Times Bestselling Author of “Run Fast. Eat Slow.” Elyse Kopecky, made these no-bake bars to help runners power through their workout. They’re loaded with dark chocolate, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin seeds, oats, dried fruit, and almonds, powerhouse, mineral-rich ingredients. They’re also high in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs to keep your blood sugar levels balanced and your happiness high.
These bars are more crumbly than store-bought bars because of the lower sugar content and whole food ingredients. If packing them to-go, use a hard-sided container, not a bag.
Ingredients
2 cupa
Rolled Oats, Organic
1 cup
crispy rice cereal
¼ cup chopped fruit
Apricots, Unsweetened & Organic
or tart cherries taste great
½ cup
unsalted creamy almond butter or peanut butter
2 tablespoons
Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil, Organic
¼ cup
blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons
Manuka Honey
¼ teaspoon
fine sea salt
1 (3-4 ounce)
dark chocolate bar (70% cocoa)
Directions
- Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, crispy rice, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit.
- Melt the nut butter, molasses, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the coconut oil and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Pour wet ingredients over the dry and stir to combine.
- Scoop the mixture into the baking dish. Spread out and press down evenly and very firmly with the back of a metal spatula.
- Wipe out the saucepan, add the chocolate, and melt over low heat, stirring occasionally. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the granola bars and use an offset spatula to spread it out to coat the entire top. Place the baking dish in the fridge or freezer for 1 hour, or until the chocolate solidifies.
- Use the corners of the parchment paper to lift it out of the baking dish and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares.
Store bars in an airtight container in the pantry or fridge.
