306-715-5396 caitliniles@live.com

Hi friend! I hope you’ve had a fabulous long weekend! I’m currently writing this on the porch of my friend’s amazing cottage on the North Channel of Lake Huron. To say I am feeling blissed out and in paradise would be the understatement of the year. We’ve been boating, tubing, water skiing, cliff jumping, bon firing, sailing, farmer’s marketing, ping ponging, poker playing, cooking, and eating like crazy. As I type this another friend is smoking pork shoulder and making his own bbq sauce. I’ve been drooling all afternoon.

Anyhoo, despite all the blissfulness I wanted to take advantage of a quiet moment to share another recipe with you! Since I’ve been traveling so much this summer these granola bars have been saving my life on long flights and travel days. Plus they are ridiculously easy to make! I’ve made a similar version before, but these ones are souped up with a tangy zing of crystallized ginger!

You can make these bars in under 5 minutes, which makes them a perfect go-to snack for people who are super busy. Make a big batch and then store them in the freezer to grab and go whenever you need a blood-sugar balancing snack. The nuts and seeds are a great source of healthy fats, fibre, and protein which ensures that, so long as you eat them in moderation, these bars won’t cause the dreaded spike and crash of blood sugar that leads to crankiness, cravings, and exhaustion. So without further ado, let’s get cooking!

Paleo Grain-Free Chewy Ginger Granola Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. coconut oil
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut shreds
  • 1/4 cup unsulphured crystallized ginger pieces
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/3 cup honey (or maple for a vegan version)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

  1. Grease a 9×9 square baking pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor combine all nuts, seeds, coconut shreds, and ginger pieces until roughly chopped. It doesn’t need to be very fine. Set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan over low heat melt the almond butter, honey, and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly combined.
  4. Once melted pour nut mixture into the liquid and stir until thoroughly combined.
  5. Put a bit of coconut oil on your hands and spread the mixture evenly within the baking pan.
  6. Place baking pan in the freezer until bars are set. About 30 to 60 minutes depending on your freezer.
  7. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy!

Well that’s our recipe for today! I’m off to boat over to the tennis court for a pre-dinner game (though if I’m being honest I’m going to watch for a few minutes then go swim… I’m not so much with the racquet sports). And don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list to make sure you never miss a new recipe! You can register by clicking here and receive a free Sensational Summer Smoothies E-Book as a thank you.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Cait xo