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Nut & Seed Maple Power Bars

Source of Recipe

From "The Newlywed Cookbook" by Williams-Sonoma


Recipe Introduction

"For breakfast-to-go, choose these nutty homemade granola bars made with thick-cut oats, an abundance of raw seeds and nuts, and maple syrup. Mashing the dates well will help to hold the baked bars together. When baking, let the oats turn dark brown for the best flavor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Canola oil for greasing
â—¦ 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
â—¦ ½ cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
â—¦ ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
â—¦ ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
â—¦ 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¾ cup dark maple syrup
â—¦ 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
â—¦ 2 tablespoons coconut oil


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Oil an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the edge on two opposite sides, and oil the paper inside the pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and salt. Set aside.

In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine the maple syrup and dates and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until the dates are soft and the syrup is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, using a fork, mix in the coconut oil and mash the dates until the syrup is pulpy, about 2 minutes; there should be about 1 cup of syrup.

Add the syrup to the oat mixture and mix with a spatula until well coated. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan, using the back of the spatula to firmly press it into an even 1-inch layer.

Bake the bar slab until the top is dark brown and the mixture is firm around the edges and yields only slightly when pressed with your finger in the center of the pan, about 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely. Using a serrated knife, cut into 8 bars. Store, wrapped in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes 8 bars