Truly simple and so much tastier than the one I used before, this granola bar recipe is my new favorite. I have made this about three times now, and it is pretty fool proof and extremely versatile. The base remains the same each time. The add-ins vary depending on what I have on hand, what I'm in the mood for, or what the family requests.
The Base
1 cup Almond Butter
3 mashed bananas
3 cups Oatmeal
The Add-ins
Add in up to 1/4 cup of any variation of nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. We like to use dried cranberries or raisins, along with chopped almonds and walnuts.
The Preparation
Put a large sauce pan over medium heat on the stove. Add the almond butter and mashed bananas and mix. Continue to stir and mix together until smooth. Be careful not to scorch the almond butter. Once smooth and well blended (there will still be some banana lumps) turn off the heat.
Add the oatmeal one cup at a time and mix well. Continue adding any additional nuts, seeds, dried fruit and mix well.
Spoon mixture into a 9x9 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes and then remove on parchment paper to a cooling rack. Cut into bars and let cool completely. Once cooled, I put them into snack size ziploc bags and store in the pantry.
The Verdict
These remind me of a oatmeal type cookie. The bananas offer sweetness without adding any sugar. And the almond butter offers the creamy taste and good protein. I have used these for breakfast as I'm walking out the door. They sustain me throughout the morning and have gone as late as 1pm before I was feeling like I needed lunch! My husband said these are his favorite by far and is excited to have them on our 14ers trip, road trips, and camping trips to come this summer.
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