CHEWY CRANBERRY GRANOLA BARS

These super easy to make chewy style granola bars are both so delightful, and difficult to resist... I am currently using a lot of self control to not eat the whole batch at once.

Unlike the baked kind of granola bars, these are made raw food style,  so therefore no loss of nutrients! They do not hold as well as cooked ones do, but the taste makes up for it.   I do recommend eating them straight from the fridge (or the freezer), as they tend to melt a little after a while.

Being pregnant, I find myself  more easily tired than I used to be.  I'm often looking for something to eat that will give me energy, while still feeding my body and of course, the baby.
These bars fit the bill. They are filled with nuts, oats, dried fruits, almond butter, and are sweetened with coconut nectar (which is way lower on the glycemic index than agave nectar, making it a slightly better natural sweetener choice).
You should keep them refrigerated or frozen.

CHEWY CRANBERRY GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 cup of gluten free old fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of raw almonds, ground coarsely in the food processor (not into a flour)
1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup of chia seeds
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
1/2 cup of unsweetened and non-sulfured dried cranberries

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 cup of coconut nectar
1/3 cup of smooth unsweetened almond butter
1 tablespoon of vanilla

Preparation:

In a medium size bowl, put all of the dry ingredients together, and mix well.
In a small bowl, put the wet ingredients together and mix until the mixture is very smooth and has a "caramel" consistency.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands until all the dry ingredients are very well coated.
Line a 13 X 9 inch pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper. This will make it easier to get the large bar out once it is set.  Put the mixture inside the pan, and spread it evenly with a spatula or your hands into a 1/2 inch thickness.  Make sure to condense the mixture really well by pressing on it, otherwise it will be too crumbly.
Put in the freezer for at least one hour to set.
Once set, gently lift the granola bar out of the pan, (this is where having plastic wrap or parchment paper underneath helps moving it out), and place it on a cutting board.
Slice into smaller bars to the size of your liking, I made 16 rectangular bars, but if you prefer squares or larger bars, be my guest.
Transfer the bars to an airtight container, placing a sheet of parchment paper between layers so that they do not stick together.
Store in the refrigerator or the freezer.

Enjoy!

This will make between 12- 16 bars

Line a 13 X 9 inch pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper and press the mixture inside of it