Tuck one of these energy bars, packed with seeds, nuts, oats, and raisins, into your bag for a meal on the go. The superb combination of crunchy and chewy textures in a subtly sweet, cookie-like bar will keep you returning to this recipe. If you want to make them gluten-free, look for oats labeled as such, sold by Bob’s Red Mill and others.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins
- 3 ounces Maple-Sweetened Chocolate or a store-bought bittersweet chocolate bar (70% to 80% cacao), chopped (optional)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Be sure to leave a 1-inch overhang all around the sides of the pan. This will help you remove the granola bars.
- Spread the oats, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until they are lightly toasted, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. This will take about 7 or 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. In a large mixing bowl, stir the oil and maple syrup until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Stir in the oat mixture until everything is well combined. Fold in the raisins and chocolate.
- Turn the mixture out into the prepared baking pan. Press the mixture down to compact it and evenly distribute. Bake until the granola is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the granola cool completely, about 1 hour. Gripping the aluminum foil, carefully lift the granola out of the pan, slide it from the foil onto a cutting board, and cut into bars. I recommend cutting into 1½-by-4-inch bars. You may have a small amount of granola bar left uncut; save it, as it is delicious crumbled over yogurt.