Everyone is busy busy these days and I am all too often hearing that there is “no time” for healthful eating. I get it, I have a lot on my plate too, but prioritizing your health is a must…because as we all know, when your body has had enough it will force you to take a time out. Running around all of the time can be exhausting and is a real drain on your immune system, if you’re not replenishing with nutritious whole foods you are a walking disaster waiting to happen. Think cold, flu, migraines, aches, pains, and all that icky stuff. Now is the time when everyone is starting to get sick and now is the time for you to start strengthening your body’s health and healing response. This recipe for breakfast bars is one way to keep you running strong and it’s simple, fast and nutritious – woohoo!
- 1 cup packed dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup creamy salted natural almond butter
- 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- Process dates in a food processor until it forms a small dough ball.
- Toast oats in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside.
- Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
- Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (I used a loaf pan, the bars with thick so I cut them thinly)
- Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
- Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or more if using a loaf pan). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days.
I came across this recipe from “Minimalist Baker” after doing a search for granola bars – it works great as is. I made the edits to the original recipe based on how I prepared the bars, but it is essentially exactly their recipe, see it in full here. Their other recipes look great and they have some beautiful photos!