I’m already starting to think about how I will fuel myself (quickly) after the little bambino arrives this fall. I’m not one who functions well with long periods between meals, so planning in advance is going to be my best ally. The healthier and more balanced, the better I‘m sure I’ll feel. Bring on the healthy, hippie foods, I say! In addition to freezer friendly meals – like veggie burgers and balls, chili, soup, falafel, enchiladas, pasta + pesto sauces, burritos, etc. – I hope to prepare snacks in advance that I can individually wrap and store in the freezer. Things that I can toss into my purse or quickly unwrap when I need a boost will be so handy. Amidst uncertainty, it always feels good to have a back up plan (even if my reality will be take out food more than not).
These lightly-sweet granola bars are a great option because they are only sweetened with bananas and sweetened dried fruit. No sugar crashes here! You could even remove the dried fruit if you really wanted to, but I love how the dried cherries provide a pop of sweetness throughout. But it’s not what the bars don’t have – it’s what they do have. How about hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, banana, and more. These wholesome bars are crunchy, hearty, and chewy in the best way possible. And super filling thanks to the balance of protein, fibre, carbs, and healthy fats. One bar clocks in at 6.6 grams of protein and almost 5 grams of fibre (you can see the complete nutritional info in the recipe below). If you wanted to boost the protein even more, you can increase the hemp seeds (and maybe reduce the sunflower seeds a bit).
For even more staying power, try spreading on some nut or seed butter (with chia seed jam to make it a party!) or even a bit of coconut oil. That’s never a bad idea. Is it snack time yet?
Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars
Yield
14-16 large bars
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Hearty, soft-baked, and chewy, these no-sugar-added granola bars will fill up the tank and keep your energy stable. Feel free to play around with the mix-ins, as the recipe is quite adaptable. Also, if you’re feeding a nut-free crowd, you can easily swap out the walnuts and almonds for more seeds (or chocolate chips, if you’re feeling wild!). This recipe is adapted from Anjali's Oat Snack Bars recipe, which was originally adapted from Faith's 4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200 g) gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup (60 to 90 g) dried cherries, cranberries, or blueberries, to taste*
- 1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup (75 g) sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (80 g) pepita seeds
- 1/2 cup (60 g) sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup (35 g) hemp hearts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (approximately 9" x 13") and line with a piece of parchment paper (with overhang) so the bars are easier to remove.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Make sure you have 1 1/2 cups (if you have extra mashed banana, you can freeze it for a smoothie).
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Place the oats into a food processor (or blender set on the lowest speed) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still have lots of texture). Stir the chopped oats into the banana mixture until fully incorporated.
- Stir the dried fruit, walnuts, sunflower and pepita seeds, almonds, hemp hearts, cinnamon, and salt into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very heavy and a bit wet.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. With lightly wet hands, smooth out until even and uniform. Press down on the dough until compacted.
- Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until firm and lightly golden along the edges.
- Place the dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then carefully slide a knife to loosen the ends and gently lift out. Place the slab on a cooling rack until completely cool.
- Once cool, slice into bars. I like to use a pizza slicer as it easily cuts through the dried fruit and nuts. Leftovers can be wrapped up and stored in the fridge for a week, or stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.
Tip:
* You can omit the dried fruit and sub in chocolate chips (or add a mix of both).
These bars aren't super sweet, so if you prefer something sweeter you may want to add a touch of sweetener.
To store these in the freezer, wrap the bars individually in parchment paper using 6-inch by 12-inch pieces of parchment, then tie with string or tape to secure. Finally, place all of the bars into a freezer-safe zip bag, press out all the air, and seal it shut. Or, you can simply wrap each bar with plastic wrap or tinfoil.
Approximate nutritional info: (per bar, based on 14 large bars using 1/2 cup dried sweetened cherries): 186 calories, 8.7 grams fat, 22 grams carbs, 4.7 grams fibre, 6 grams sugar, 6.6 grams protein. Without dried cherries, bars have approx. 3.6 grams of sugar and 166 calories.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)PS- The winner of the Vitamix contest has been announced at the bottom of this post! A big thank you to everyone who took part in the #osgcookbook Vitamix giveaway and to Vitamix for donating the machine. I had a blast seeing all your pictures come in over the past 2 weeks.
I was riding my bike uphill today and had to rush to pick my kid up at kindergarten. Had no time to eat something and was feeling realy weak. I thought a good protein-rich snack would be great right now (thought I was going to fall off my bike before even reaching the top). Guess you read my mind haha. Going to try these. Thanks :-)
It’s fate!! I have way too many brown nanners on the counter right now. Love all the nuts ands seeds and naturally sweet goodness in there!
This sounds like great fuel for such a busy time in one’s life! So many healthy fats and warm flavors to love!
wow these look really good! hearty is definitely the word to describe these haha. I just pinned them. thank you!
I just love your pictures! Ill have to attempt to make these. Here are a few healthy snacks that got me through my pregnancy and the year of breastfeeding- Add the “Jump Start” bar to the list.
inallofhersplendor.com/2014/01/06/healthy-snacks-i-love/
These look delicious! I’m so excited to see how you manage maintaining such a healthy lifestyle post-baby. I know I’m hoping to do the same if/when the time comes for me, but I’m nervous about being able to juggle it all!
These look amazing and so nutritious! I love how you wrapped them all in such cute, transportable bundles. Little granola bundles of joy!
these look amazing and i am in love with that packaging :)
These look so hearty and satisfying….and healthy! And love making my own granola bars. Healthier, cheaper, and you get to customize :) pinned!
Lovely bars! Yum. I’ll have to add these to my list.
Oh this looks absolutely wonderful! Just what I love to eat! I love that you are thinking about fueling your body, and how you and your bambino will feel better the better you eat. As an athlete I have noticed how a small change can make a huge difference. Granola bars like this are so much better than the processed stuff most people have!
I’m a fan of making my own granola bars and skipping the junk they put in store purchased bars. These look terrific!
Ohh I’m with you, I need snacks around or I get to that hangry point! : )
I’m a huge fan of granola bars, I love them!!! I’ve always used agave syrup but the next time I’ll use mashed bananas, what a great idea! Thanks Angela :)
thank you for this super nice recipe…
I like how you used banana as a natural sweetener! Yum!! Love how these granola bars can be wrapped up for freezing. What a great snack to throw in your purse!
Mmm…they look delicious. Can’t help but think I might have to add a little raw cacao powder in :-)
I love all of the super healthy ingredients jam packed into one power house of a granola bar. I made your original glow bars for a vegan bake sale the other month and they were an absolute hit and I am sure these will be too!
Aw so glad to hear they were a hit! Thanks for spreading the love. :)
Definitely do prepare healthy snacks ahead of time! The smartest thing I did during my pregnancy was stock my freezer with soups, chili and other hearty meals for the first post-baby weeks. As tired as I was with my big belly, I was even more tired after the birth and my husband and I were able to eat for almost a month with minimal cooking. It was such a relief. I might add that many of those meals were your creations!
“As tired as I was with my big belly, I was even more tired after the birth”
So very true!! I’ll definitely think of that to keep me going during the final weeks of prep. :)
first and foremost …. I adore your recipes so much. I am not vegan, but trying to eat more and more vegetarian foods. Your recipes always work well, taste great, and don’t make me feel that somehow meat has been replaced with high amounts of sweeteners. I honestly think you are one of the best modern cooks going. :)
Good luck with the pre-baby prep. If you are planning on breastfeeding, then remember that breastfeeding actually takes 2-3 times more calories than pregnancy – Alarming number of calories. Pack like a bear getting ready for winter season!
Fatigue? After you give birth all that pregnancy hormone flood will dissappear – including adrenaline; your iron will drop dramatically; and the baby will keep you awake at odd times. I actually got so tired I feel asleep while standing in the foyer saying good-bye to some visitors. Thankfully my husband was able to catch the baby before I passed out. My guest was able to catch me before my head hit the floor. Needless to say, I had a friend come over the next day so I could rest between feedings etc. Pack lots of food so you can use ANY down time to nap/rest/sleep/bathe.
big hugs. thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Angela,
I’m excited to try these. I have a question about your jars. What kind are they? I’ve been looking for some jars that just have the measurements but don’t have a bunch of other writing on it. thanks