Five-ingredient granola bars

Snacking is a crucial part of most runners’ lifestyles. It allows us to stave off hunger, intake the adequate amount of calories to sustain our high training sessions, reduce the effects of the mid-afternoon bonk and gives a little treat to have with a mid-morning cup of tea. However, one of the issues of snacking is that many snacks purchased from grocery stores aren’t always the best fuelling option. Many granola bars are essentially healthy chocolate bars and, unfortunately, are about as nutritionally sound as a candy bar. Luckily, homemade granola bars are super simple and quick to make.

On one of my typical procrasti-baking recipe hunts on Pinterest, I stumbled upon this recipe from the Minimalist Baker blog. It requires only five ingredients (all of which I could pronounce!), quite different than any store-bought ones I’ve seen lately! I’ve made this recipe a countless number of times and still mix it up each time I do. Instead of roasted almonds, I’ll use an assortment of nuts and dried fruit; instead of peanut butter, I’ll use almond butter or coconut-peanut butter; I’ll add in chia seeds, flax seeds or chocolate chips to add a little pizzazz. You get the idea.

Once the bars have set, I’ll slice them up, usually into about 16 bars. I individually wrap them in parchment paper to store in the freezer and maintain their freshness and make them readily accessible as a grab-and-go snack on a busy day. They are perfect for throwing into your training bag for a post-workout snack and excellent for keeping summer road trip munchies manageable. Most importantly, they pair exquisitely with a cup of tea.

Healthy Five-Ingredient Granola Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Recipe Credit: Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed dates, pitted (deglet nour or medjool)*
• 1/4 cup honey (or sub maple syrup or agave for vegan option)
• 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds, loosely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten free for GF eaters)

Instructions:

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a “dough” like consistency. (mine rolled into a ball)
2. Optional step: Toast your oats in a 350 degree oven for 15-ish minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw – I just prefer the toasted flavor.
3. Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl – set aside.
4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8×8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars.)
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
7. Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days.

**If your dates don’t feel sticky and moist, soak them in water for 10 minutes then drain before processing. This will ultimately help hold the bars together better.