CHEFIT: Homemade Granola Bars

Hey SHEFIT sisters, we have another great CHEFIT episode for you this week!

If you’re like me, you love a good granola bar, but you hate all of the added sugars. Have no fear, this no bake granola bar recipe is here!

Honestly, my favorite thing about this recipe is the fact that I almost always have these ingredients in my pantry. The pantry staples also have a wide variety of health benefits. Rolled oats are the perfect prebiotic. This means that they help feed probiotic rich foods (like yogurt). Nut butters are great sources of healthy fats and help to curb your appetite with their filling nature. Flax seeds are a nutritional powerhouse with heart-healthy omega 3 fats, fiber, and protein. Definitely keep these stocked in your pantry at all times!

The other thing I love about these granola bars are the ability to customize them to your taste preferences. Switch out your dried fruit and nut choice to create new and exciting flavor combinations. Dark chocolate chips could also be substituted for white chocolate, milk chocolate, or even butterscotch chips. I personally prefer dark chocolate because it’s less sweet than the other options and it contains heart healthy benefits too (look for at least 70% dark chocolate).

Homemade Granola Bars
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup nut butter (almond, peanut, soy butter, etc.)

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup flax seed

¼ cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios, etc.)

¾ cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries, etc.)

¾ cup honey or maple syrup

½ cup dark chocolate chips

Combine oats, nut butter, flaxseed, honey, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips, together in a bowl.

Press into a 9x13-inch baking dish, using the back of a spatula to press into a flat layer.

Refrigerate mixture at least 30 minutes then cut into 12 bars and wrap each individually in plastic wrap for storage.

Recipe tips: Use non-stick spray on your hands and utensils to prevent granola bars from sticking.

Keep bars refrigerated until ready to eat. Bars are best when consumed within 30-45 minutes after removing from the refrigerator.

Thank you for watching this week’s episode of CHEFIT!

We’ll be back next week with another delicious episode.

Happy cooking!

Chef Jenn