Citrus Spiked Granola Bars

The world’s best granola bar loaded with superfoods and spiked with a tinge of citrus.

Ok, I realize that’s kind of a loaded statement, but personally, I’ve fallen in love. See, I have a bone to pick with most traditional homemade and/or store bought raw food bars. And that is, they are loaded in sugar! Now, I understand that it’s natural sugar, which is far better than the alternative, but let’s face it – sugar is still sugar. Whether it’s natural, or chemically altered, it still going to spike your blood sugar (some more than others)! Now, if you’re an endurance athlete who needs the extra boost, I say ‘go for it!’. Load up on dates pre-workout and run your little heart out. But, if you an endurance worker (like myself) I’d rather fill up on good fats, plant proteins, and complex carbs. In a way, I feel like dates, maple syrup and agave have become the equivalent to ‘salt’ in the low-fat processed food world. It’s as if we’ve started using these sugars to flavor natural foods and attract the masses – Which I’m personally not to fond of, as I believe raw or not, they are a food that should not be consumed in excess. So, sorry ‘a certain popular raw food bar‘ but I prefer to save my natural sugar consumption for the occasional scrumptious dessert (or, the many cookies I’ve been unbaking this week, ha).

Moreover, I just don’t love the taste of sugar-laden food bars! In fact, last weekend I found myself in a pinch, so I quickly grabbed a food bar while checking out at Whole Foods. Wouldn’t you know, that three bites into it and all I could taste was… Sugar!! It was disgusting and ultimately, a waste of money. However, it did prompt me to create a raw/vegan granola bar that would taste great without an unnecessary amount of natural syrups.

The best part of these granola bars is that they can be made in the oven if you are without a dehydrator. Just make sure to use the lowest setting and crack the door.

Citrus Spiked Granola Bars

Yield – 12 bars

.5 C pumpkin seeds
.5 C sunflower seeds
.5 C hemp seeds
.5 C ground flax seeds
.25 C coarsely ground almonds
.25 C coarsely ground brazil nuts
.25 C chia seeds
.25 C dehydrated coconut
zest from one orange
zest from one lemon

1 orange peeled
3 medjool dates (soaked, pitted)
juice from one lemon
2 packets of stevia
.25 C purified water
.5 tsp sea salt

In a large bowl, combine the first set of ingredients and set aside.
In a high-speed blender, combine the second set of ingredient until smooth in texture.
Mix
Combine the wet and dry ingredients by hand and mix well.
Using a spatula, carefully spread mixture on a non-stick dehydrator sheet. While wet, slice bars into 12 equal sections (I like using a pizza cutter).
Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 5 hours and then flip to mesh dehydrator sheet. Let dehydrate another 8 hours until firm.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of posting macro-nutrient figures, because I believe as a society we focus far too much on them and not enough on ingredients. But I do believe, once proper ingredients have been established, they can be very beneficial for checking daily nutrients.

In this case, I decided to run the numbers after making the bars and was so thrilled with the results that I knew I had to share. I mean, just look at those RDA’s! Try seeing those numbers from a weight watchers pre-packaged dinner… I’ll wish you luck in advance.

Having a freezer full of granola bars is such a great way to make eating raw much more convenient. Not to mention, you can easily keep a few at your office and even in the car – this way, you’ll always be  prepared for those sudden moments of hunger

Enjoy!

Tagged as: dehydrator, easy, quick, Raw, snack, vegan