Nutty Chocolate Granola Bars

Remember when you were young and you would play pretend? You would pretend that you were a princess, or a cowboy, or a monster? Ok well channel that and let's play pretend for a little while.

Pretend that it is still Friday and I didn't forget to post For the Love of Food.

Pretend you wake up Friday morning and see this wonderful post on my blog as a brilliant start to the For the Love of Food Friday series.

Ok, so now that we are all on the same page lets talk food.

I found this recipe a few months ago on tumblr and have been saving it.

They are so yummy and make-you-feel-good filling. They are also a great alternative to store bought granola bars. Not only do you know what is going into the bars, but you can also tailor them to your own tastes – finding healthy foods that you like is a great way to start eating healthier foods. It's like working out: you are more likely to stick with something if you enjoy the activity.

NOTE: The recipe called for Nutella, but I decided to change things up a bit and use chocolate peanut butter, which you can find at most grocery stores these days. I purchased mine at Whole Foods. FYI, I am not sitting eating this by the spoonful while I blog... I brought it over to take a pic for my mama.

NOTE: This is the first recipe that I used chia seeds in and I am officially obsessed with them. I can't wait to do more experimenting... stay tuned.

 

Nutty Chocolate Granola Bars
Adapted from Pass the Sushi (who adapted the recipe from Flour Dusted)

1 cup unsalted almonds
2 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup salted sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar (the next time I make these, I will try to make them without refined sugars)
1/3 cup creamy almond butter (use any nut butter you enjoy the most)
1/3 cup chocolate peanut butter (ditto)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
(The original recipe also calls for 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins, which I think would taste great in the granola bars... I just forgot to buy them.)

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Pour your almonds in a 9x13 pan. Crush them up a bit with the bottom of a cup, or whatever you have handy for crushing purposes (I used a meat tenderizer). Add oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds and mix everything together. Pop pan into the oven for 10 minutes for a quick toast (keep an eye on them because mine started to burn around 8 minutes). Stir the ingredients in the pan a couple times just to make sure nothing gets overdone. When everything is toasty and golden brown, pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Grease a 9x13 pan.

In a saucepan mix together the honey, butter, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter and chocolate peanut butter. Pour over the nut mixture in the mixing bowl. Mix until everything is well combined. Pour the granola into prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. With a piece of wax paper protecting your hand, press down firmly to compact the granola. Let cool before turning granola out onto a cutting board. Cut into desired sizes.

Note: My granola bars ended up a bit crumbly so any pieces that fell apart I just broke into smaller pieces and kept in a jar as granola to sprinkle over yogurt or eat with fruit.