Last week I did a juice cleanse — three days of low-fruit veggie juices, three days of no solid food, three days of realising how much I actually enjoy the act of eating and subsequently miss it. I’ll share more about it one day but this post is not about that cleanse…
It’s about the homemade granola bars I made on the second day of said cleanse and photographed on the third day — in between launching a website for a client and packing for 5 days in Adelaide — without taking a single, solitary bite.
So why torture myself? Well I had to make something for this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment, Flying on Jess Fuel, and realised too late that I’d be away when I would usually cook.
And so I found myself, smack bang in the middle of my green and red and orange liquid meal days, baking bars that smell like cookies.
So why homemade granola bars? Well my first two discoveries on Jess’s blog were her Healthy Veggie Muffins and Chickpea Blondies, and while both will appear in my kitchen some time very soon (!!) I needed a solution that I could pack for the trip — and that would last longer than a day or two in the fridge. Enter these breakfast bars.
I almost followed the recipe this time, almost. I didn’t have any over-ripe bananas so I roasted a few — trust me, try it some time. I subbed the sugar with rice syrup to lower the fructose content. I added tahini and cinnamon and doubled the nuts because I could.
I baked them in a larger pan for thinner bars. I made RJ try them while I sipped on yet another juice. Then I packed up a baggie of them to take on the plane and keep in the hotel room during my conference. Everybody wins.
Roasted Banana, Coconut & Oat Bars
A little bit nutty, a little bit fruity, a whole lot of wholesome. Little slices of happiness really. || Adapted from Flying on Jess Fuel
Makes 16 bars
INGREDIENTS
- 2 c rolled oats
- 1 c shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 c chopped nuts or seeds (I used half almonds and walnuts)
- ½ cup chopped dried figs
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ c rice syrup, honey or maple syrup
- ¼ c coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 c roasted (or very ripe) banana, mashed
METHOD
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) tin with a bit of coconut oil, line base and two long sides with a strip of baking paper.
Combine oats, coconut, nuts and figs in a bowl. In a large jug, stir together spices, syrup, oil and tahini. Mix banana into liquid then pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there to finish the job.
Tip mixture into prepared pan, spread evenly and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, turn out onto a rack and cool completely before cutting into bars.
COOK’S NOTES
- To roast banana: cook 3 bananas under a medium-high griller (broiler) for 10 minutes, flipping half way through. Cool, peel and mash. Use any extra in smoothies or porridge or over yoghurt.
vegan // vegetarian // dairy-free // soy-free // refined sugar-free //
nut-free (with seeds) // gluten-free (with gf oats)
These sound like a great treat. I would never have had the willpower to not sneak a taste of these during the cleanse, so good for you! Great pick this month 🙂
Roasted banana, in and of itself, sounds amazing. The bars look delicious 🙂 Happy reveal day!
Yum! These breakfast bats look fabulous! I have never tried roasting bananas before but it sounds amazing!
Roasted bananas! WOW! that is amazing, I can imagine how deep the flavor of these bars
great choice for your SRC this month
You have WAAAAAAY more willpower than I would have had with those on the counter.
These sound awesome – visiting from group B.
What a great choice this month – though man what an extra difficult assignment for you with your cleanse. Yikes!! Good for you though!! 🙂
Yum!! I can’t imagine having these around while on a juice cleanse, but luckily, you got to enjoy them eventually! Great choice and I love your adaptations.
Yum!! I love the changes you made… these are one of my favorite healthy snacks!!
I’m so tempted to make these! Will grab some figs on the way home. 🙂
Yum, these bars sound delicious and perfect for “travel snacks”. I’ve got to admire your willpower – I’ve done a few cleanses and fasts, but I’ve never tormented myself with baking in the process.
Gorgeous photos. I’m not sure I could do a “cleanse” so I admire your discipline.
I am looking to change up my homemade granola bar routine, these look amazing and I LOVE Figs!
You have a lot more discipline than I. Great job! And what a great idea to choose something you could pack to take with you!! They look great!