Go Nuts with Goji Nutty Bars

Goji Nutty Bars

We’ve loaded up these bars with nuts, seeds, coconut and dried fruit, along with blackstrap molasses, almond butter and cinnamon. They’re gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free and loaded with calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese and fibre. As there are no oats in this bar, they are also grain free.

Goji Nutty Bars

INGREDIENTS

MAKES 18 BARS / 36 BITES

  • 150g nuts (I used a mix of almonds, cashews and pecans)

  • 45g sunflower seeds

  • 150g dried fruit (I used dates but apricots or figs would work well too)

  • 60g pumpkin seeds

  • 30g goji berries

  • 45g desiccated coconut

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • generous pinch flaky sea salt

  • 6 tbs coconut oil (melted)

  • 2 tbs blackstrap molasses (honey or maple would work too)

  • 4 tbs almond butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

  1. Blitz the nuts and sunflower seeds in a food processor to a fine flour. Place in a large mixing bowl.

  2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and place a heat-proof bowl on top (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl, just steam)

  3. In the heat-proof bowl put the coconut oil and allow to melt.

  4. While the coconut oil is melting, cut the dried fruit into small pieces and add to the nuts in the mixing bowl.

  5. Add the pumpkin seeds, goji berries, desiccated coconut, cinnamon and salt to the large mixing bowl and mix all the dry ingredients together.

  6. Take the coconut oil off the heat, add the blackstrap molasses, almond butter and vanilla and mix to a smooth paste.

  7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine

  8. Line a small tray with baking paper (I used a tray 17cm x 25cm) and press the mixture down well
    TIP: Take a second piece of baking paper, slightly larger than the tray, and put it on top of your mixture and now you can use your fist to press the mixture down. I find it much easier, and less messy, than trying to press it down with a spoon.

  9. Once it’s all pressed into one giant bar, pop the whole tray into the freezer to set (30mins should do the trick)

  10. Remove from the freezer and cut down into larger bars or smaller bites and store in a container in the fridge

Jonathan CairnsComment