Hi friends! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was pretty hectic in the best way possible and now I’m settling in for the workweek. This granola bar was perfect to have on hand for a quick brekky, combined with a super green smoothie of course, for when I had to be up and out of the house in a short amount of time. Now I’ve added pretty much everything but the kitchen sink into this bar, but basically what you want is a ratio of 1:3 in terms of wet to dry ingredients. If you can tolerate gluten-free oats, they give great substance to this bar. So go wild and get creative! And feel free to send me pics and recipes of your creations if you want to be featured on the blog.
The beauty of this bar is that it contains very little sweetener in comparison to fibre, protein, and healthy fats, so when eaten in moderation it should not spike your blood sugar.
The cinnamon in this bar also helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels as this spice helps with cellular uptake of glucose, moving it quickly out of your blood and into your cells.
Cacao nibs are raw pieces of the cocoa pod, so they provide many of the same antioxidant, neurotransmitter, and mineral (magnesium) benefits of regular cacao powder, while adding a wonderful textural crunch to these bars. You can read more about the specifics in this post, this post, or this post.
I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of Brazil nuts, so whenever I can sneak them into something without noticing, I go for it. Just four of these nuts provide your daily recommended dose of selenium, a trace mineral that is necessary for the production of the super powerful antioxidant glutathione. It’s also necessary for the conversion of inactive T4 (thyroid hormone) into the active T3 form, which is an integral part of ensuring our metabolism hums along.
I find that including chia seeds not only helps lend integrity to the bar in terms of structure, they also add some great soothing soluble fibre, in addition to small amounts of proteins and healthy omega fats.
Finally, this dish wouldn’t be my own if it didn’t include some kind of coconut, and this time it’s in a shredded form. Coconut provides some wonderful healthy MCT fats that have antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial effects in the body. They can also help boost the beta-oxidation of stored fats in our body, making them an excellent addition to any weight loss program.
These few ingredients are some of my top suggestions for including in your various iterations as they have some unique and fabulous health benefits that aren’t necessarily found in many other foods.
Ingredients
- ½ cup nut butter of choice—almond, hazelnut, and cashew are my faves!
- ½ cup honey or maple butter
- 2 tbsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- 2 tsp. ginger
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. cloves
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup cocoa nibs
- ½ cup chopped Brazil nuts
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- Sea salt to taste.
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat nut butter and honey in a saucepan over low-medium heat until combined and liquid.
- Add cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, stirring to combine.
- Stir in nuts and seeds until fully combined.
- Spread mixture onto baking sheet about ¼- ½ inch thick.
- Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Set in freezer for 15-20 minutes until hardened.
- Cut into squares and store in a glass Tupperware in the fridge or freezer.
Tip: These bars can also be rolled into balls and dipped in shredded coconut for a decadent treat.
Well that’s the recipe for today friends! Don’t forget to send me your creations if you’d like to be featured here on the blog. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
Cait xo
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