Granola Bars

I’ve been trying to find a quick, easy and healthy breakfast on the go for the boy for those mornings when a big bowl of porridge is just too much of an ask.  Something that will fill that little belly and keep him ticking until morning tea and avoid the familiar crabby meltdown of a hungry child.  I think these are the answer!  I’ve just made them tonight and whilst he’s yet to try them, I can’t possibly see how he won’t LOVE them.  They are so yum.  The recipe is taken from the My New Roots blog which I love to keep up with, but I often find the recipes a little to virtuous for my capabilities or tendencies.  This recipe calls for matcha powder (green tea powder), but I wasn’t grabbing my keys and running out to buy this, so I used a little bit of coacoa or you could try some protein powder if you felt inclined.  I did grab some rice syrup from the supermarket in the health food section though, which works well cause too much maple syrup will make them way too sweet.  You’ll get about 14 bars (or so) and they keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks so there’s be plenty for the small and big kids in the family.

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1½ cups unsweetened puffed rice
½ cup dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, dates, figs, prunes, goji berries, whatever you have), roughly chopped
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
1 – 1 ½ tbsp. matcha green tea powder (to your taste) – I used coacoa powder
⅓ cup brown rice syrup
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ cup tahini
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 160C.  Combine oats and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the oats are golden and have a nutty aroma.
In a small saucepan over low heat combine the brown rice syrup, maple syrup, tahini, coconut oil, vanilla.  Whisk to combine.  Do not overheat.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled oats and pumpkin seeds with the chopped dried fruit, rice puffs, salt, and matcha or coacoa.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir quickly to mix.
Pour the mix into a brownie pan lined with plastic wrap or baking paper.  Press the mixture firmly, especially into the corners.  Place in the fridge for a couple hours to firm up, then remove from fridge and slice into bars.  Keep leftovers in the fridge for up two weeks.