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Nature’s Trail Chewy Granola Bar

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Raw Nature's Trail Chewy Granola Bar stacked

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

The ingredient list might appear long for this recipe… ok, maybe it is.  BUT I assure you, it goes together fairly quickly after you do the prep work of soaking and dehydrating.

When the time comes to create the bar shapes, the batter will seem loose. Even I was a little concerned at first that I was going to end up with granola rather than bars (not that there is anything wrong with that).

I used my sushi press, which is my go-to-bar-press these days.  I love it!   A small investment for a big payoff. What’s the payoff, you might ask? Well, it makes my life easier, and I find it fun, so it is well worth the price of admission. :)

Once dehydrated, the bar is firm and chewy with bits of crunch. The top layer is date paste that I piped out on top. It dehydrated nice and firm, not tacky to the touch.  For storing purposes, I recommend wrapping each one individually with plastic wrap or wax paper.

You could lay them side by side in a large container and even stack them, but only if you slide a piece of wax paper in between the layers.  Over time, the date paste might stick to the one stacked on top if you don’t, take this step

Need a little extra giddy-up in your step throughout the day? These bars might help you.  Let’s start with the seeds… All of the varieties used here are going to pack a powerhouse of energy. They will provide your body with a healthy source of fat, protein, and fiber.  Each seed also contains a robust set of phytonutrients and antioxidants. Next, come the oats! Oats are always a great filler for a granola bar. They are a great source of carbohydrates and fiber.

To add a little sweetness and chew, I used dried fruit.  Dried fruits are an excellent way to add some natural, whole food, sugars into the mix without going overboard.

Lastly, every bit of goodness needs a side-kick of Superfoods!  Chia and hemp seeds will give you a super boost of antioxidants and vitamins, helping to ensure a long-lasting energy supply to get you through the day.

Raw Gluten-Free Nature's Trail Chewy Granola Bars WrappedIngredients:

yields 20 bars (1/4 cup each)

Topping:

Preparation:

  1. I recommend that you don’t skip soaking & dehydrating the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and oats to ensure that the batter doesn’t get too wet.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sunflower seeds, oats, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut, raw coconut crystals, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.  Mix well, so the spices are evenly dispersed.
  3. Add the water, coconut oil, raw honey, dates, and apricots.  With your hands, work everything together, getting everything well coated.
  4. To create the bars;  I used a press which worked beautifully. If you don’t have a press, line a baking sheet with plastic wrap, making sure to bring it up over the edges.  Press the batter into the pan with the palm of your hands. Press down as firm and evenly as you can.  Place in the freezer for a few hours.  Remove, lift out onto a cutting board, and slice into bar-sized shapes.
  5. Place the bars on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator.  I used a knife to slide under each bar to transport it to the mesh sheet.
  6. Pipe the date paste onto each bar.  I used a Wilton piping tip #789 and a large piping bag to accommodate it.  This pipe tip size matched perfectly with the width of the bar press that I used.  You can use a butter knife if you don’t have these tools.  Just do your best and have fun with it.
  7. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) and dry for about 24 hours or until dry to the touch on the outside but a bit moist on the inside.
  8. Allow the bars to cool to room temp before storing them.  Wrap individually.  On the countertop, they should last 1-2 weeks, in the fridge 2-4 weeks, and in the freezer, up to 3 months, possibly longer!

The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™

Culinary Explanations:

  • Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
  • When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
  • Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

Raw Gluten-Free Nature's Trail Chewy Granola Bar with ingredients

Raw Gluten-Free Nature's Trail Chewy Granola Bars in a Basket

 

Raw Gluten-Free Nature's Trail Chewy Granola Bars wrapped on the Table

 

 

14 thoughts on “Nature’s Trail Chewy Granola Bar

  1. Kate says:

    These look really yum. I was wondering if you could put a thick fruit purée on the top, like a fruit leather rather than the date paste. I can’t have any grains, so oats are out for me. Do you have any suggestions on what I could use instead?

    I recently found your site, you have some really yummy recipes on your website. I’m getting a dehydrator for Christmas so will look forward to trying some of them out.

    I’ve already made and used the citrus cleaner :) great idea.

    Kate

  2. Lynne says:

    Many thanks Amie Sue for the wonderful recipes & inspiration you bring to you writing
    Wishing you & your loved ones a safe& healthy Christmas & New Year
    Lynne

    • amie-sue says:

      Your welcome Lynne… and thank you for your kind words or warm wishes. In return, many blessings to you and your loved ones. Have a glorious day and a Merry Christmas. :) amie sue

  3. Anne-Marie says:

    Great, I have all ingredients at home. After my birthday cake, I will give it a try. Thank you for this yummy recipe, dear Amy Sue.

  4. Nancy says:

    Oh wow, amie-sue, another bar to try. It’s in the dehydrator now but not before some tweaking. So sorry I cannot just do as you suggest, but it looked too sweet so I had to intervene. I eliminated the honey and upped the dates just a bit and omitted he water as I used the oats wet and added 1/2 cup oat groats, soaked and dehydrated (which I happened to have on hand). I also had to forego the piped topping as I am without the gizmo for piping. I do have the sushi press which was an incredibly great suggestion. Since I live in Hawaii, that was easy to find. So now I wait til tomorrow to see if I really needed that honey to glue it all together. Worst case scenario is that I will have another granola instead of a bar; not a total disaster if that happens. Will let you know how it worked. Again thank you for all your attention to the details.

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Nancy,

      Well, I am glad that my recipes at least inspire you to be creative in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your adventure with me. I always enjoy reading them. :) And your right, any bar that may fail, always turns into a great granola. In fact, you can use any bar recipe and make granolas or cookies from them and vice a versa. hehe

      Many blessings my friend, amie sue :)

  5. Nancy says:

    They turned out great! Thank you so much for your guidance, amie-sue. They are plenty sweet and did not require the honey as glue either as they kept their shape through the dehydration process; they were done in 14 hours and I suspect the shorter time might have been due to the missing honey. Now I will go back to some of your other bars, trail mix, for sure, and give them another try. I feel I have learned a lot with this success. Much appreciated. Enjoy your new year!!

    • amie-sue says:

      That is wonderful Nancy. You are more than welcome. :) I am thrilled that you are inspired in continuing to trying the other bar recipes. Have a blessed day, amie sue

  6. Michal Wolicki says:

    I love yours recipies bless u Amy
    I’m sending u some energy :D
    Greetings from Rainy Scotland
    With Love Michal

    • amie-sue says:

      Well Michal… I will take that energy. :) I needed an extra boost today. I am painting my husbands office. hehe Many blessings to you and that rainy Scotland of yours. :) I would love to visit that area some day. I can only imagine its beauty. amie sue

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