Are you going for a brisk walk or bike ride this summer? Then it pays to first build up a stock of granola bars that you really like. This recipe from our baking specialist Barbara Serulus leads to muesli bars with nothing crumbly or dry; they are just as charming as thick, soft gingerbread, but much more nutritious. Don’t hesitate to bake a lot at once, because you can then freeze the bars to enjoy them for months.
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For a baking tin measuring approximately 26 x 20 cm:
• 200 g oat flakes
• 200 g kernels, seeds and nuts (make your own mix or use mine: 50 g pumpkin seeds, 50 g sunflower seeds, 50 g linseed, 50 g almonds)
• 120 g peanut butter or other nut butter
• 200 g honing
• 80 g coconut fat or vegetable, neutral oil
• 1 pinch of salt
2 tl kaneel
• 2 tl cardemom
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 150 g dried cranberries or other dried fruit
• 1 protein
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roast the nuts, kernels and seeds (except for the flaxseed – it gets a bit bitter when you roast it) in the oven until they turn light brown and start to smell. Let it cool down. Place the oats, nuts, kernels and seeds in a food processor and pulse a few times until you get fine pieces. Everything breaks down a little differently in the mixer, but flaxseed is a good measure of size.
2. Roughly chop the cranberries with a large knife (they tend to stick together in the food processor).
3. Heat the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil in a small pan. Stir well until you get a running mixture. Add the spices.
4. Mix the chopped nuts, kernels, seeds and oats with the chopped cranberries and peanut butter mixture. Mix well. Add the beaten egg whites to this. Mix until fully incorporated.
5. Line a low 26 cm x 20 cm baking tin with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and press as hard as possible. Smooth the top with a spatula or spoon. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven, cut the sides if necessary and lift the cake with the baking paper out of the baking pan. Let cool on a rack. Only cut the bars when the cake has completely cooled down to reduce the risk of lumps. They will keep for at least a week in an airtight container. You can keep them even longer in the fridge, and even the freezer is an option.
Tips:
– If you want to make a vegetable version, you can replace the egg whites with 4 tbsp water. Add it to the oatmeal, nuts, kernels and seeds as you chop them in the food processor.
– Are you looking for a bar that is even firmer? Then add 50 grams of flour to the mixture for an even more robust end result.
Photo: Tine Lejeune
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