Pre-made muesli bars are often packed full of sugar and preservatives and result in excessive plastic wastage due to being individually wrapped.
Instead you can simply make your own – they are a healthier alternative, provide lots of sustenance between meals and taste just as good as the ones from the store!
Nutty and Nutritious Muesli Bars
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 large bananas
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup almond/peanut/nut/seed butter or vegan spread such as marg (a healthy homemade jam could be used here instead)
1/4 cup almond/soy/rice/coconut milk (I use unsweetened almond milk or a homemade mylk)
1/3 cup chopped and pitted dates (alternative: 1/3 cup other dried fruit such as apricots or raisins)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup rolled oats (use buckwheat groats for gluten-free)
1/2 cup chia seeds or flax
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon cinnamon
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 100 degrees Celsius.
- Put sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chopped and pitted dates, coconut, melted coconut oil, half the cinnamon, dried cranberries or raisins and chia seeds in a large cooking bowl and mix thoroughly.
- On a large plate or chopping board mash the bananas until smooth and creamy then add bananas to bowl with seeds etc but don’t mix.
- In a food processor, pulse and blend almonds until they are a fine, grainy texture and add them to the cooking bowl also. Repeat with the seeds, buckwheat and oats until all are roughly the same texture.
- Combine dry ingredients with mashed bananas well then add the dairy-free mylk and nut/seed butter or spread. (Add more milk or another 1/2 a banana if desired.
- Grease a lined baking tray lightly with almond butter or some vegan-friendly vegetable oil. (I just used a few sprays of canola oil but almond butter or coconut oil is more nutritious.)
- Spread combined muesli bar mix over the baking tray evenly, then sprinkle remaining cinnamon atop the slice.
- Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes, turning once half way through
- Remove from oven and allow for slice to cool completely on a drying rack before slicing.
Image credit: Meal Makeover Moms
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