Whole grain pumpkin almond bars [Video + Recipe]
Sooooo I’ve kinda been dreaming about how good my tasting-plate was from the other day (does this qualify as a “You Know You’re a Health Foodie” moment?… I think so), I can’t help it, I just had to do something with that pumpkin/almond butter combo again!
My solution?
Well the first thing that came to mind was granola bars.
Can you believe I’ve never actually attempted to make my own before!
My latest video with a step-by-step tutorial on how to make my famous whole grain Pumpkin Almond Butter Bars [video + recipe].
Ingredients:2 Tbsp Pumpkin Butter (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
2 Tbsp Almond Butter (I used Justin’s)
1 cup Cream of Wheat Whole Grain hot cereal or rolled oats
Mix-ins of choice: I used 2 tsp. of dried fruit this time (golden raisins, cranberries+ apricot)
Directions:Step 1: Mix all ingredients into bowl
Step 2: Transfer mixture onto piece of plastic wrap
Step 3: Seal ends of plastic wrap and roll wrapped dough into square shape with desired thickness
Step 4: Cut with knife into desired shape
I experimented with two versions of this.
Let’s check them out.
Raw/Uncooked:After completing directions #1-4 above, place wrapped bars in fridge for a few hours to set.
Cooked:Preheat oven to 350F and follow directions #1-4. After shaping bars, remove wrapper, place bar in oven dish and bake for 30-35 minutes (careful not to overcook.) Allow to cool before eating.
So which version did I prefer?
The answer is… BOTH!
The raw/uncooked version had a more cookie dough texture (but c’mon now, who doesn’t love eating that stuff??)
Overall, they both tasted pretty face-rockin’ delicious to me… you’ll have to be your own taste-test judge to see which one you like best.
These bars are SO easy and SO versatile. You can always switch up the mix-ins with different ingredients, such as:
Variety of grains: wheat flakes/bran, quinoa, whole wheat flour
Coconut
Dried fruit
Walnuts
Dark chocolate
Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar)
Maple syrup
Flaxseed
Plus their impressive nutritional value meets my standards for the perfect granola bar.
Yessss!
Nutrition Facts (per 1 bar without mix-ins)Calories 162.1
Total Fat 7.6 g
(Saturated Fat: 1.1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.3 g, Monounsaturated Fat *the good stuff*=4.9 g)
Total Carbohydrate 33.0 g (Dietary Fiber 4.7 g // Sugars 4.0 g )
Protein 4.2 g
Definitely going to be making these as a quick grab n’ go snack once school and internship starts up again!
Question for you:What would you add to your Whole Grain Pumpkin-Almond Butter Bars?
If you try these out, please let me know what you think! I’d love to hear whether you preferred the raw or cooked version!