Aren’t snacks on-the-go ideal? I love having a quick nutritious treat ready to go for when I find myself in a hurry. It is so great to have something already prepared that won’t spill, wont smell, wont be weird to pull out while in meetings, and that will just hit the spot perfectly.
I highly dislike being hungry; it actually makes me very grumpy, which I dislike even more! You don’t ever want to be around me when my blood sugar levels go down…I might unleash the beast. Am I exaggerating? Nope. Ask my husband. He’ll confirm the beast appearance. It’s ugly. It’s untamable. No one stops the beast…other than food, of course.
A great way to avoid the beast is by taking snacks with me wherever I go. If you were to take a peak in my purse at any given point in time, you’ll find things like hardboiled eggs, sweet potatoes, or plain ol’ grilled chicken breasts. No joke. All of these are sort of smelly and sort of embarrassing to pull out and munch on, wouldn’t you say? But you know what? Avoiding the beast is stronger than the embarrassment.
I’ll just take those out, shamelessly, and start eating them all “Gollum-like” (that little beast from the Lord of the Rings that eats meat using solely his hands and teeth). My hubs and I joke about that, since we find ourselves eating like this more often that not.
Anyway, my point is…to avoid the embarrassment and to give my treats a more pleasant flavor, I’ve decided to go with a more of a conventional on-the-go snack. I came up with these sweet, crunchy Paleo Granola Bars! These beauties are incredibly delicious and have proven to give me great energy to push throughout my days. Give them a try.
Paleo Granola Bars
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 10 bars 1x
Description
These Paleo Granola Bars are easy to make and make for a wonderful nutritious snack that is delicious and all-natural.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted ghee
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds, slightly chopped
- 1 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 cup organic raisins
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Place a saucepan over medium heat and add honey and ghee; bring to a boil and cook for about 15 seconds after it bubbles. Pour into dry ingredient mixture and combine. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, and using another parchment paper, push down to settle it tight. Do not bake with the top parchment paper (toss it out). Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool and refrigerate overnight for it to settle. Once it has been refrigerated overnight, cut 4 lines horizontally and 1 line vertically, so that it yields 10 pieces.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I’m allergic to pumpkin and walnuts, would it be okay to change the seeds or would it alter the texture/consistency too much? Maybe try cashews and sunflower seeds? I’m also allergic to honey, would maple syrup work? I’m going crazy trying to find a decent ‘granola’ bar recipe! Thanks!
Yes, all of the substitutes you mentioned would work fine! 😉
I tried these and they didn’t stick together…it turned out more like granola than granola bars. Any suggestions?
Hi Jocelyn! Did you press the granola bar mix very hard (using the 2nd sheet of parchment paper) before baking?? Also, you may want to try adding a bit more honey and butter 🙂
I will definitely try that next time! Thanks for the tips. Your banana muffins are amazing. I make them all the time. 🙂
Any idea if it’s ok to freeze these?
Hi Holly! I think it should be fine to freeze these. 🙂
I made these last week…didn’t last two days! Everyone loved them…even my picky eater that won’t eat coconut! Thanks for the recipe!
So good to hear that Melanee!! 🙂
Can you substitute the butter for anything?
Hi Camille! Yes, coconut oil. 🙂
I thought dairy was not part of the paleo diet (butter)?
It really isn’t, you’re right! I didn’t have coconut butter on hand, so I used butter. You can easily substitute the butter for coconut oil in this recipe! The taste will be slightly different..it may actually be better! 😉