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Super Easy No Bake Healthy Snack Bars

  Recently I've become obsessed with these protein bars called KIND. They are snack bars that are completely natural, organic and have no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. I've been trying to eliminate all added sugars from my diet and I'm finding it fairly easy but only with the help of  artificial sweeteners. With so many of these sweeteners everywhere and such excess consumption; how safe is this. That is why I am lovin these bars. Nothing but natural ingredients and they still taste great.
  I wanted to try to replicate these in some way. I wanted to see if I could make something at home that was completely from scratch and completely natural. I went in search for a copy cat recipe online. I found a few but my problem was they involved lots of fancy ingredients. It was going to be costly. I decided to give my snack bar making skills a test drive with some simple household ingredients. So before rushing out and buying all natural fresh organic milled brown rice syrup  I thought I should try using some simple ingredients first. Read on and I'll give you my  easy recipe that anyone can make and is sooo delicious.





Honey Peanut & Roasted Almond Snack Bar

  This recipe is super simple. You don't need to know how to cook or bake. You simply microwave the peanut butter and honey then mix them into the dry ingredients. Anyone can make this, it's loaded with nutritional benefits and you know exactly what goes into it. The ingredients are simple and easy to find in any grocery store.
  So let's get started. Grab a bowl, pyrex measuring cup, 13x9 baking pan, parchment or wax paper and a spatula. Most of the following ingredients you probably already have so the cost of these snack bars is really minimal.

Ingredients

  • 1c.      Oat Flour*
  • 1/2c.   Oatmeal (instant or quick oats)
  • 1/2c.   Whole Natural Almonds
  • 1/2c.   Natural Super Chunky Peanut Butter
  • 11/4c. Puffed Rice (rice krispies cereal)
  • 1/3c.   Whey Protein Powder, vanilla
  • 1/3c.   Clover Honey
  • 1tsp.   Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4c.   Ground Flaxseed  (optional**)

Instructions

First you're going to want to lightly roast your almonds. Roasting them takes just a few minutes and it really brings out the flavor. Set the oven to 300F and roast in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 10min. That's it... super easy right.  Set them aside and when they're cool put them in the food processor. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop.
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In a glass pyrex measuring cup add peanut butter, honey and vanilla and slowly stir together with a wooden skewer or chopstick. In 10 second increments microwave and stir the mixture. Using a wooden skewer allows you to leave it in the mixture while you microwave. Repeat this process until thoroughly mixed and hot.


































Add the liquid to the dry mix and stir with a spatula to completely coated. Add the mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread evenly covering about 3/4 of baking pan. (Coating the entire pan will result in thin, flat brittle bars.) Using parchment cover the top of the mixture and pack down with your hands. Refrigerate about 1 hour to set.


After about an hour take the baking pan out and prepare to cut. To ensure accurate nutritional information you want to measure the bars before cutting.  Mark 1 1/2 inch intervals down the center of the pan with a toothpick. Use this as your cutting guide. With a dough cutter or large metal spatula cut into even bars.



































Wrap bars in plastic wrap. Refrigeration is not necessary but will prolong freshness. That's all there is too it. You have your own homemade snack bars that are super healthy and require no baking.

NUTRITION PER 2oz. BAR
total calories. 227, fat 13g, total carbs. 27g, sugars 10g, protein 9g




*Oat Flour can be replicated by using a food processor to pulse/grind the oatmeal to a powder-like consistency. note: Oatmeal does not have to be cooked to have the same nutritional benefits.

** slightly increases fat and calorie content