Healthy 'breakfast bars' or 'anytime snack' with oats and nuts; No Baking needed!
Author: Indira Shyju
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8 bars
RecipeIngredients
1 cup pecans or walnuts (or any other nuts)
1½ cups rolled oats (NOT quick cooking)
1 cup dates, pitted
2 tbsp hot water
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
¼ cup unsalted organic peanut butter (or almond butter)
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
RecipeInstructions
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
In a large baking tray lined with parchment paper, spread the oats and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Transfer the oats to a plate.
To the same tray add the pecans or walnuts (or other nuts if raw) and toast for about 5 minutes.
In a food processor or chopper, pulse the oats and the nuts together for about 20-30 seconds until the nuts get crushed (big chunks) and oats also get chopped a bit. Keep aside.
In a food processor, add the dates along with the hot water and blend until you get a thick pasty consistency.
In a cooking pot, add this date mixture, the maple syrup(or honey), salt and the peanut butter (or almond butter) and heat for about 2-3 minutes until everything blends together. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla extract and the oats and the nuts mixture. Mix well using a large wooden spoon/spatula.
Dump this mixture into a square brownie pan lined with parchment paper with an overhang. Pat the mixture using the back of a small bowl (or use another sheet of parchment to press on the top).
Place pan in the freezer for an hour (or refrigerator for about 2 hours)
Take out the pan from the freezer/refrigerator and slide the parchment with the bar onto a cutting board and cut the block into bars of desired size using a large knife.
Notes
You can toast the oats and nuts in a pan on the stove too instead of toasting them in the oven. Once set, bars can be stored at room temperature (65-75 deg F) for about 5 days or in the refrigerator for unto 2 weeks.
Recipe by Cook2Nourish at https://cook2nourish.com/2017/03/easy-no-bake-breakfast-bars-sugar-free-vegan.html