Snack attack! Do you really know what’s in those “nutrition bars” you feed the family? Skip the unpronounceable ingredients and make your own.
Honey, Seed and Oat Bars
Recipe by Alice Hart, from “Alice’s Cook Book,” (Lyons Press). Makes 16-20 bars.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 heaping cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 2 cups mixed seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax)
- 2/3 cup dried black cherries
Directions
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Warm the honey, sugar, peanut butter and oil together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until blended. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, pour the honey mixture over them, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Press into the pan and bake until just golden, 20-25 minutes. The mixture will set on cooling. Mark it into 16-20 bars, but let cool completely in the pan before slicing. They will keep for a few days in an airtight container.
Banana Booster Bars
From “River Cottage Every Day,” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Makes 16 bars.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey, plus a little more to finish
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup dried fruit like raisins, chopped apricots, prunes or dates, or a combination
- 1 cup mixed seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, flax and sesame
- 1 large very ripe banana, mashed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Put the butter, sugar, honey and grated citrus zests in a deep saucepan over very low heat. Let heat until melted, stirring from time to time.
Stir the oats, dried fruit and threequarters of the seeds into the melted butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Mix in the banana. Spread the mixture out evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing the top as you go.
Scatter the remaining seeds over the surface, and drizzle with a little more honey. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden in the center and golden brown on the edges.
Let cool completely in the pan (be patient, it cuts much better when cool), then turn out and cut into squares with a sharp knife. These bars will keep for 5 to 7 days in an airtight tin.
Cashew Carob Bars (Raw, vegan)
From “Sweet Vegan,” by Emily Mainquist. Makes 14 bars.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, plus 12 for garnish
- 2 cups dried dates
- 1/4 cup carob chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons light agave syrup
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Directions
Using a food processor, blend the 1 cup of cashews until finely ground. Pour into a separate bowl, and set aside.
Blend the dates, carob chips, coconut oil, lemon juice, agave and coconut for 4 minutes on high speed. Stop, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the reserved cashews and blend again for 2 minutes or until the ingredients form a paste.
Shape into bars and place a whole cashew on top of each for garnish. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
