homemade muesli bars

I have been wanting to come up with my own version of muesli bars or muesli slice for a while now and with this recipe I think I've done it. It is a bonus they look this pretty :)

Commercially made muesli bars are one of those 'trick' health foods that are falsely marketed as being a nutritious option when really they are often high in saturated fat and sugar sugar sugar.

My recipe uses coconut oil which is a highly nutritious fat containing lauric acid which is a medium chain fatty acid shown to be antiviral and antibacterial. The other place you'll find lauric acid is in breastmilk so it has to be good for you! I have sweetened these bars with honey and dried fruit, yes honey and dried fruit are forms of sugar but the difference between commercial bars and one you make yourself is that you can regulate the amount and quality of fat and sweetener. Next time I make these I will reduce the honey to a quarter of a cup because they were a touch sweet for my tastebuds.

Consider this the foundation recipe and feel free to play around with ingredients, use different nuts and seeds, come up with another way of sweetening it, use a different nut butter. See this is more fun than buying muesli bars isn't it?

The thing to remember about muesli bars, even delicious, home made nutritious ones is they are an energy dense food. So, if you are wanting to shed a few kilos or you aren't very active, enjoy eating one or two but don't fool yourself into thinking they are healthy therefore you can eat the whole tray in sitting!

Savour the moment, enjoy each bite, then get moving!

If you like this recipe go ahead and share it with your real food loving friends x

Home made muesli bars

2.5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup honey or rice syrup
4tbsp coconut oil
2tbsp creamed coconut (optional)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2tbsp pepitas
1 cup dried cranberries or sultanas or chopped dried apricots
1 tsp cinnamon

-In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients.
-Over a gentle heat melt together almond butter, honey or rice syrup, coconut oil and if using creamed coconut.
-Mix melted ingredients with dry ingredients and press into a lined 25 x 30 cm pan.
-Bake at 120C for 25 minutes.
-The key to success with these staying together so you can cut them into bars is the cooling time:
leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes then cut leaving in the tin and refrigerate until completely cool.

If you live in a warm climate I recommend storing them in the fridge because they will fall apart if the coconut oil warms and softens.

spring into spring: I am posting one spring inspired task at the end of each post this September to brighten up your post winter world. Today I have taken great joy in...dusting! The top of the fridge is clutter and dust free ditto windowsills, bookshelves, desk, top of chest of drawers even a few skirting boards got the once over. Dusting requires de-cluttering because every time you move something to dust underneath it ask yourself, do I really need this? Oh it feels good.