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I am so excited to share this recipe with you guys. These healthy homemade granola bars are packed with so many nutrient-dense ingredients. Fueling your body and giving it what it needs to have the best digestion and the most energy, is the right way to better health. Healthy homemade granola bars are a great breakfast alternative when you are on the go but want to eat something that will give you energy and it’s filling. They are also great for a snack in the afternoon or a snack when you are traveling. Let’s have a look at some of the ingredients.
- Dates – natural energy booster, high in iron content, rich in potassium, a good source of dietary fiber, an excellent source of vegan protein
- Chia seeds – an excellent source of healthy omega fatty acids, contains 500% more calcium than milk, contains 20% easily digestible vegan protein, high in antioxidants
- Cashews – packed with dietary fiber, rich in heart-friendly mono-saturated fatty acids, a rich source of minerals, high in magnesium and copper, an excellent source of antioxidants
- Almonds – helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure, energy booster, loaded with calcium & fiber, high in antioxidants
- Cranberries – the improved immune system, lowered blood pressure, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Pistachios – support cardiovascular health, an excellent source of fiber, protein, manganese, and copper, high in thiamine, vitamin B-6, and potassium
The cashews and almonds I used were sent to me from an organic foods company called Karmalize.Me. The nuts are organic, fresh and they had a great flavor. I love that their products are organic, have great quality and are at affordable prices. Their company donates 50% of profits to charities. Yes, that’s right, 50%. All you have to do is list the name of the charity of your choice at checkout. If you want to try some of their products, Karmalize.Me is offering a 5% discount to Delicious Meets Healthy readers through July 31. Be sure to use code DMH07312015.
These bars are also great because they are naturally gluten-free, Paleo, no-bake & so easy to make. I love that they are chewy, and their sweet & nutty flavor is so good!
✓ No preservatives
✓ No added sugar
✓ No additives
Better than any store-bought granola bars, and it takes only 15 – 20 minutes to throw together.
Also, these healthy homemade granola bars can be customized according to your liking or what you have at hand. You can substitute the cranberries for other dried fruits like apricots or pineapple, or you can add some sunflower or flax seeds. Just keep the honey & dates mixture the same, it’s “the glue” that binds the bars together.
How To Make Healthy Homemade Granola Bars
What you need
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw organic honey
1 Tbsp chia seeds
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Gluten Free oats
1 cup cashews, (1/2 cup ground, 1/2 cup whole)
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup peeled pistachios
Preparation
Blend pitted dates, honey, chia seeds, salt and vanilla extract in a food processor until creamy.
Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add oats, ground and whole cashews, almonds, cranberries, pistachios and mix well.
Spread out mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a plastic wrap and your hands, press mixture down on the baking sheet.
Freeze for about 2 hours. Cut into bars. Keep the bars in the refrigerator.
Yum! Flavor & nutrients explosion packed in one granola bar.
Another favorite granola bar recipe is this Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola Bars. I am sure you will love it!
Homemade Granola Bars
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup raw organic honey
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Gluten Free oats
- 1 cup cashews, (1/2 cup ground, 1/2 cup whole)
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup peeled pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS
- Blend pitted dates, honey, chia seeds, salt and vanilla extract in a food processor until creamy.
- Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add oats, ground and whole cashews, almonds, cranberries, pistachios and mix well.
- Spread out mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a plastic wrap and your hands, press mixture down on the baking sheet.
- Freeze for about 2 hours. Cut into bars. Keep the bars in the refrigerator.
NUTRITION
Disclosure: I received free cashews and almonds samples from Karmalize.Me for a product review. As always, opinions remain 100% my own.
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Used in this post:
Granola bars around the web
{Healthy} {No Bake} Almond Cranberry Granola Bars – Life Made Sweeter
Chewy No Bake Granola Bars – The Big Man’s World
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Tastes very nice but for some reason they did not’set’ . I wonder if you have weights in grams.
Hi, I don’t have any cashews what would you recommend using as a substitute?
Liz, a good substitute for cashews are pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macademia nuts or sunflower seeds. Hope this helps!
Can these be frozen?
Yes, they can.
Could I use prunes in place for the dates?
yes, absolutely, you can use prunes!
What size pan did you use?
Hi Melissa, the pan was 10″ x 15″.
I have tried quite a few granola bar recipes and not been satisfied with the crumbling, but your perfect sticky blend is a winner! I haven’t had cashews or pistachios on hand so I’ve used some different additions, but they have turned out amazing every time. Thank you for sharing my favorite and now go-to recipe for delicious and healthy bars!
Hi! These are delicious, thanks for the recipe. Do you have any nutrition information on them? As far as calories, protein, fat and carb grams?
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you like them! 🙂 I dont have nutritional information. I think My Fitness Pal calculator provides pretty good nutritional information. Hope this helps!
How long are they good in the refrigerator?
Hi Heidi! Mine were in the fridge for about 7 days simply because we ate them all. But they would be fine in the fridge even if you store them longer. They don’t have any ingredients that will spoil that quick (since they are made with nuts & dried fruit).
Looks delicious. This will be my first attempt at making granola bars. You inspired me. I recently gone paleo. I’m also not eating anything that lists “natural flavors ” even if it is organic.No purchased ground meats & no more restaurants. Ok wait got side tracked. Question what are GF. oats? Can I use any oats?
Thanks keep inspiring
Jamie
Hi Jamie! I am so glad that this recipe inspired you! 🙂 Yes, you can use any kind of oats. I used gluten free oats (GF – short for Gluten Free). Hope you enjoy the granola bars! They are my favorite to – go breakfast in the mornings when I am running late.
Yum – those granola bars look super delicious! And I love how healthy they are too!! 🙂
Thanks, Christina! yep, they are delicious and healthy! 😉
I just love homemade granola and granola bars. I haven’t made granola bars in a while and now I am hungry for some. 🙂
Thanks, Valerie! I love granola bars, and homemade granola bars are the best! 🙂 let me know how they turn out if you try them.