After a few tweaks and taking them to friends for sampling, the report back is that this easy staple recipe is the winner! Try it out on your pack of hungry people, and let me know.
MiMi’s Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 3 tbsp pure cocoa or cacao powder
- 1 cup all natural creamy peanut or almond butter (no added sugar)
- 1/2 cup cup of (local/raw) honey
- 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries or chocolate chips Optional
Instructions
- Mix oats, ground flax and cocoa in a large bowl.
- Add nut butter, mix, add honey and mix.
- If using cranberries or chocolate chips add now and mix.
- Continue to incorporate. Dough will be super thick.
- Round mixture into a ball, and use your hands to flatten onto cutting board into a thin rectangle shape. (Wet hands to keep it from sticking to you.)
- Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Cut into bars.
- Put them in the individual bags, and store in the fridge for easy grab and go snacks.
- **Optional** Store in the freezer if packing them in your lunch.
Ingredient notes: Old fashion oats work here too, but we prefer the texture of the quick oats. For other recipes using them, check out this quick oatmeal recipe or these magical muffins. I use cocoa or cacao powder interchangeably. Cacao is more pricey and probably harder to find but is the superfood cousin to cocoa because of its density of essential nutrients of antioxidants. Cocoa in the natural unsweetened form is also full of nutrients. I prefer to use nut butters with no refined sugar and let the honey do all the work. Tip: store new nut butter jars upside down to help incorporate oils and mix well before using. My crew prefers the peanut butter (with the salt) over almond butter, but both work great. There has not been conclusive evidence found in studies that local honey fights seasonal allergies and colds. But myself and others swear by personal experience that it does and is worth the additional cost. Plus, you are supporting local farmers. Local honey can be found in some grocery stores (saw in Publix recently), farmers markets and health food stores. If you cannot find or don’t want to go looking for it, then make sure you choose “raw” honey to keep it pure. ***Honey is safe for consumption for ages 24 months and up.
Remember food is not just keeping you full it is fueling you up!
Live well friends,
Christy
Sally says
I am touched that you named the bars for me. Such a nice thing to do and you need to name the next recipe In your honor!!