This past wet and cold weekend I was inspired to make this
recipe that I had found in Healthwise Ottawa magazine. It’s for healthy granola
bars. Credit goes to Deb Gleason. I made them with a few minor adjustments
based on what I had on hand: no shredded coconut, a little shy on chia seeds and only half the amount of
pecans called for in the recipe. Nevertheless, they turned out well.
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup cooked chickpeas, mashed (if using canned chickpeas, they are already cooked)
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 chia eggs (mix 2 tbsp ground chia seeds with 6 tbsp of water and set aside for 10 minutes until mixture becomes gel-like in its consistency)
1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Add the mixture to a greased 7' x 11" baking pan.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the top looks brown. Cool and cut into squares.
These bars are gluten-free and high in protein and fiber. Mine were a little too crumbly for taking on a bike ride, but I did take them with me on Sunday to have and share after doing the 40-km time trial. Try them and let me know how yours turn out.
