Healthy Snackbars

 Who has fallen into the lockdown snacking pit? Yup, we have. Being at home all the time does have its struggles. Especially if all you have is the dogs to have their beady eyes on you when you go for your fourth biscuit and you know they’ll keep your secret if they get a biscuit too. 

For the last three years I have been on a fitness journey. I got into running, and alongside that have gained a really big passion for healthy eating and along with my baking passion, finding and experimenting with new healthy recipes. Well, I have found the jackpot! 

Do you love peanut butter, nuts, oats and dried fruit? Well, you’re in luck, because this easy 25 minute snack bar recipe is the one for you. Have it as your coffee break snack, your afternoon snack, your breakfast or even dessert! It’s AMAZING! Whenever we get low on it, Kurt is always saying ‘Meg, you ARE going to make some more of those snack bars right!?’. 

With 16 servings and only 193 calories a slice, it’s a winner. Crammed full of oats, these bars are an amazing source of slow releasing energy, they help with a healthy gut and unlike many snacks, they help keep you fuller for longer. Plus the fact you have sunflower seeds in the mix, that are also great for energy, and boost heart and skin health. You can also gain one of your five a day with the dried fruit in these amazing nutrient dense bars! Let’s keep those hunger pangs at bay! 

Meg’s Healthy Snackbars 

• 2 cups oats

• 3/4 cup mixed nuts (or your preferred nut), chopped

• 2tbsp sunflower seeds

• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut 

• 4 tbsp peanut butter (or your preferred nut butter)

• 110g butter

• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 10 whole dates, chopped

• 20 dried apricots, chopped

Method;

1. Turn the oven to 200°C and pour the oats, mixed nuts and sunflower seeds into the tin you are going to use for your bars (I use a rectangular tin roughly about 30cm x 15cm) give a quick mix around and brown in the oven for about 15 minutes.

2. While the dry ingredients are getting all lovely and golden, in a medium saucepan melt the butter, honey/ maple syrup and peanut butter.

3. Once the dry ingredients in the oven are golden, place the desiccated coconut in the tray too, and let brown slightly in the oven for a further 5 minutes. 

4. Once the dry ingredients are golden, pour into the melted butter mix, along with the chopped dried fruit and mix to combine with a spoon.

5. Pour and evenly spread in the tin and place in the fridge for 2 hours, until hardened and set.

6. Once set, it can be cut into 16 bars. Enjoy!!