Quinoa Granola Bars
Chewy baked bars held together with a date, almond butter and maple syrup paste, with oats, raw quinoa, walnuts and seeds mixed through. They keep well and travel easily for snacks through the week.
Ingredients
- 5 piece Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ cup large flake oats
- ¼ cup quinoa, uncooked
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 300 °F. Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper to be able to easily remove the bars.
- To a large bowl, add the pitted dates and cover with hot water. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until soft. Drain the water.
- Add the nut butter, maple syrup and vanilla to the bowl with the dates. Use an immersion blender to blend into a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can pulse them altogether in a food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer and bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.
- Cool completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. To make slicing into bars easier, you can chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour prior to removing from the pan and cutting.
- Slice and enjoy!