Almond butter granola bars

So, I've been struggling recently with sensitivities to gluten and yeast and have been making a big effort to seek out healthy alternatives. I mean just because you have to reorganise your diet shouldn't mean you have to cut out everything mildly delicious. I've always loved granola bars. They are a handy inbetween meal snack that makes you feel full and satisfied. However, the ones sold in supermarkets are full of strange ingredients and lots of sugar. So, I decided to make my own. Truth be told, these are even more delicious than ones I've bought in the supermarket. Perhaps tasting even better because I know exactly what went into them. I based these on a recipe I found online but changed the nuts/seeds that went into it.

I started off by making my own almond butter by just chucking a load of almonds in the food processor and remembering to be patient while the nuts go through their various stages before reaching butter. Then this goes in a pot with two mashed bananas and is heated gently to soften it up. I like to add a splash of vanilla and a sprinkling of cinnamon to ring out flavours. While the butter and banana is gently heating I throw into a bowl lots of nuts, seeds, some wheat free oats, cranberries and to be just a little bit naughty some chopped up dark chocolate. 

Then pour your melted butter and banana onto your oat and but mix and mix thoroughly. Then put into an oiled brownie tin and press down. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Slice up into bars and refrigerate. These last in the fridge for quite a while and I usually get a week out of them.

Almond Butter Granola Bars

1/2 cup almond butter

2 bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup cranberries

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

80g chopped dark chocolate

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Oil a brownie tin.

Heat banana and almond butter until soft and well combined.

Place nuts, seeds, oats, chocolate and cranberries in a bowl and mix together.

Add banana and butter and mix thoroughly. Press mixture into tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Cool and slice into bars.

Store in the fridge and devour shamelessly when hungry.