Indulge in a healthy homemade granola bar made with oats, honey, coconut oil and trail mix (or a combination of your favorite nuts/seeds/dried fruit). Moist and chewy and so simple to make, no baking required.Perfect for snacks, pre or post workouts, or even for breakfast. Easy adaptations to keep these vegan or gluten free if you’d like.
From the window of my apartment I look out at this place every day. Sometimes I find myself staring, and imagining….mouth watering…oh Belle Pastry! How is it even possible to deliver such sweet almond goodness?
I first ventured into this place day one in my new apartment…in search of some coffee. My coffee machine had yet to be unearthed from the stacks of moving boxes and I NEEDED! coffee to even contemplate unpacking any of them.
It’s a cute little bakery with white iron tables and chairs and fresh made croissants and brightly colored macaroons. It looks like it literally was picked right up from a small side street in Paris and plunked down right here…in plain sight of my apartment.
As I was paying for my coffee a fresh tray of almond croissants was being pulled from the oven. The aroma was overwhelming. There were people waiting to get theirs. (apparently these almond croissants were in high demand).
I’m not normally a sweets for breakfast kind of girl, but I couldn’t resist! (plus I had no idea which packing boxes the pots and pans were in and no food in the refrigerator yet…how’s that for rationalizing inhaling an almond croissant guilt-free for breakfast? ) and my…oh my! What an almond croissant it was! Warm, flakey, buttery and oozing with gooey almond paste and a light dusting of powdered sugar and a smattering of sliced almonds to top it all off.
Yes, my mouth is watering now just thinking about all that goodness! I’m all about splurging and enjoying the occasional indulgence. But! I figured if I’m going to live in this apartment for some time I’d better come up with a simple, easy fix when that urge for almond croissants overcomes me (aka every time I look out my windows towards Belle Pastry)
Don’t get me wrong, homemade granola bars are by no means a replacement for an almond croissants but they are a good healthy alternative that delivers that sweet nutty flavor as well as some healthy nutritional value.
To keep things easy, I’m using raw trail mix that has a combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and even a few dark chocolate chips (one that has lots of almonds!) but you can easily combine any of your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit if you prefer.
Just a few minutes prep time needed to get a batch of these homemade granola bars going. You’ll melt the coconut oil and honey (or agave) for a few minutes. Mix in the oats and trail mix and press the mixture together in a pan. Allow the bars to cool in the refrigerator before slicing.
- 2 cups trail mix (or a combination of your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit)
- 1 cup rolled oats (gf if appropriate)
- ¼ cup honey (or agave)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper (or Saran wrap) allowing and extra 4 inches of paper to hang over the 2 ends (lengthwise).
- In a medium bowl, combine trail mix and oats.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat combine honey (or agave) and coconut oil. Stir until mixture melts and begins to foam. Continue to cook for an additional 10-15 seconds after mixture foams.Pour over trail mix/oat mixture and thoroughly combine.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and firmly press mixture into uniform thickness. Flip the remaining ends of parchment paper back over the mixture to cover and continue to firmly press.
- Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours . Once cooled remove from the pan and slice with a sharp knife into desired size bars.
Ok. That is the cutest little milk jug I have ever seen! And I love the idea of a no-bake granola bar. Will have to give it a try!
Definitely looks yummy. No bake version looks cool.
https://artoflivingtips.wordpress.com/recipes/cheesecake/