Who doesn’t love a snack that’s high in protein, fiber and most of all YUM? We certainly do! These nutty fruity full of flavor bars are easy to make and hard to resist. Package them in squares for a treat to sustain you in the afternoon – or enjoy for breakfast with a piece of fresh fruit. The recipe is easy to double, and freezes great, too!
The smell of cinnamon and allspice will fill your kitchen when you bake these bars. Cinnamon adds aromatics and it can help control a blood sugars during the day. It is also loaded with polyphenol antioxidants which can help you stay healthy during these cold winter months. Finally, cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties that help combat low grade inflammation as well.
Nutty Fruit Granola Bars
1 Cup Raw Almonds
1 Cup Raw Pecans
3 Cups Oatmeal, Divided
¼ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ Cups Chopped Dried Fruit
4 Large Eggs
½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 TB Canola Oil
1 ½ Tsp Cinnamon
½ Tsp Allspice
½ Tsp Sea Salt
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Step One Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9″ x 13″ pan with foil, allowing it to overhang from the sides. Coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Step Two Place the nuts and the oatmeal on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake for 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once. Chop finely in a food processor.
Step Three Place the flour and 2 cups of the oatmeal in the processor and pulse until smooth. Combine with the dates, nuts and remaining cup of whole oatmeal.
Step Four Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in the oatmeal-almond mixture until well mixed. Spray your fingers with nonstick spray and pat the batter into the prepared pan.
Step Five Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a rack for an hour. Using the foil as handles, remove from the pan. Cut into bars with a serrated knife. To store for the week, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap and keep in the frig.
DID YOU KNOW?
Dates are a great choice for these bars. Did you know they come from a palm tree? Over 1500 date palm varieties are grown around the world. All parts of the tree have uses, from the leaves for Palm Sunday processions in Italy to building huts in North Africa. Humans are not the only species to eat dates – in the Sahara desert, dates are fed to camels, horses and dogs!