Tomorrow the hubby & I are going away again for a weekend of camping in New Hampshire with some friends. We both love camping but haven’t been all summer. It’s about time!
I always bring snack bars for camping, especially if we’re hiking & we need quick, filling, on-the-go snacks. I was just going to pick up some healthy snack bars at the grocery store, but I really couldn’t find anything that was “healthy” enough to me.
I made some homemade snack bars a few weeks back, so I decided to experiment with them again instead of purchasing anything. The hubby specifically requested for something a little nuttier this time than just standard chocolate chip granola bars.
I have to say, they turned out really great!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups oats (preferably quick oats)
- 2 tablespoons wheat germ
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup pecans*
- 1/4 cup almonds*
- 1/4 cup craisins or dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Mix the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil together until blended well.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
*Note: for the nuts, you can choose any kind of you like. I just happened to have pecans & almonds on hand.
3. Mix the peanut butter mixture into the oat/nut mixture until well blended and all the oats and nuts are coated well.
4. Shape the oat “dough” on a foil covered baking sheet by using a spatula to flatten.
5. Put in the fridge or freezer to set, about 30 minutes.
6. Slice it with a pizza cutter to create bars. Makes 8.
I was trying to save them all for the trip, but I just had to try one beforehand. Quite nutty indeed!
What I particularly love about homemade bars is that they are so much more filling. Pure oats, seeds, nuts, and peanut butter? I know there are a lot of calories in this snack, but it’s exactly what I’m looking for in a snack bar these days. Those little 100 calories things just don’t cut it for me. And I also love knowing everyingredient in these bars. No random syrups or extra sugars. Just goodness.
I put them in individual snack bags to take with us on the trip. I’m keeping them refrigerated until we leave, as they tend to get a little crumbly at room temperature.
Hopefully they hold up in a backpack!
Questions for You:
- What’s your favorite trail snack?
- The perfect granola bar for you would include what ingredients?