Chewy Granola Trio

One recipe three variations? Multi-tasking at its best for busy households! You can also take the granola bars and cut them into small squares or bites making them a bonus or fourth option! These are easy to make with your choice of variations. The sunflower seeds in these yummy snacks are protein rich and “fiber-li-cious”, which helps to keep your energy high and blood sugar balanced for the rest of the day!

Power Food: Sunflower Seeds

Total Time: 30 min. or less! | Servings: 12 | Serving Size: 1 bar

Free From: Gluten, Dairy, Soy

Ingredients:

Dry:

 

• 1 cup oatmeal (gluten free) & quinoa flakes
• 1 cup flax seeds, sprouted, ground
• ¾ tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

Wet:

• 2/3 cup maple syrup, pure (grade B)
• ½ cup apple sauce, unsweetened
• 1/3 banana, mashed
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract, pure

Protein & A Touch Of Sweet:

• ½ cup almonds, slivered, raw (soaked overnight) (or other nut or seed)
• ½ cup sunflower seeds, raw (soaked overnight)
• ¼ cup hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, unsweetened
  

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together: oats, quinoa flakes, flax seeds, sea salt, cinnamon, almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and dried cherries into a medium bowl.
3. Mix all wet ingredients together: maple syrup, apple sauce, banana and vanilla extract.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry, fold in almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and dried cherries. Using your hands mix well.
5. Cookies: Use a tablespoon to scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat. Use a fork to press flat and bake for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
6. Balls: Skip the baking step and simply roll into ~ 40 balls!
7. Bars: Spread mixture into a 9” X 9” parchment paper lined baking pan. Press firmly so that it is flattened and evenly spread. Bake for 25 minutes, or longer for a crunchier version. Let sit until cool and cut into 12 bars. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. You can also break them up into granola bites

 

Variations:

• Protein Power: Remove ½ cup flour and add ½ cup protein powder
• Blueberry: Remove cherries and replace with blueberries
• Coco-Nutty-Goji: Remove cherries and replace with large flake coconut and goji berries
• Chocolate Fix: Remove cherries and replace with chocolate chips (DIY chocolate chips in www.powerfoods101.com)
• Peanut Butter: Remove apple sauce and banana and replace with ¾ cup peanut butter, natural and sugar free
• Green Energy: Add 2 Tbsp. matcha green tea powder (whole ground green tea that you can find at your health food or Asian grocery store)

 

Nutritional Facts (for 2 balls or ~ ½ cup of granola bites or 1 cookie) : Calories 120.3  |  Total Fat  3.6 g | Saturated Fat 0.4 g  | Monounsaturated Fat 1.6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat   1.4 g |Trans Fat  0 g | Cholesterol 0 mg | Sodium  170.3 mg  | Potassium 289 mg |  Total Carbohydrate 20.8 g | Natural Sugar 9.2 g  | Dietary Fiber 3.3 g | Protein  4.8 g | * Manganese 35.5 % |  *Vitamin C 12.8 %  |  *Iron 12.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 

Nutritional Facts (for granola bars): Calories 200  |  Total Fat  6 g | Saturated Fat 0.67 g  | Monounsaturated Fat 2.67 g | Polyunsaturated Fat 2.4 g |Trans Fat  0 g | Cholesterol  0 mg | Sodium  284 mg  | Potassium 483 mg |  Total Carbohydrate 34 g | Natural Sugar 15.4 g  | Dietary Fiber 5.5 g | Protein  8.2 g | * Manganese 59  % |  *Vitamin C 20.5  %  |  *Iron 12.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

 

 

 

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