Almond Joy's got nuts...

Ok, for all the label-lovers here they are: all-natural, preservative-free, heart-healthy, energy boosting, low-fat, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, it's more important that food tastes amazing before I consider the labels (I know I’m not alone in this, hence the reason people eat French fries) but these are really good even if they are good for you.

                            

It may sound decadent having a granola bar named after a candy bar; instead, these are all those same flavors you love (chocolate, almonds, coconut) just put in a healthier vehicle. These make for a perfect snack or even better crumbled into yogurt. Enjoy! (recipe after the jump)

Healthy Almond Joy Granola Bars

Makes 10 bars

Adapted from here

Recipe Notes:

- If I’d had puffed brown rice cereal I would’ve used that.

- I had sunflower seeds and added them to the bars, but they could easily be replaced with a different nut, or just use all almonds if you want.

- If you want to be even healthier you could use unsweetened coconut but then you'd have to add some moisture to the mix, like dried fruit (cut up apricots, raisins or dried cherries could work).

 

Ingredients

½ Cup old-fashioned oats

½ Cup shredded coconut

½ Cup toasted/puffed rice cereal (aka Rice Krispies)

½ Cup almonds

1/3 Cup sunflower seeds

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed

¼ Cup mini chocolate chips

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. sea salt

5 Tbs. honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325º F. and prepare an 8x8” baking dish lined with foil and lightly coated with cooking spray.

2. Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix until honey has coated everything. Pour into the prepared baking dish and press down mixture with a spatula (you may need to lightly spray the spatula with cooking spray to prevent sticking).

3. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes if using a metal pan, or 28-35 minutes if using a glass pan- or until edges are golden brown.

4. Remove from oven and let bars cool in pan for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use the foil to lift the bars out and place on a cooling rack. Cut the bars into rectangles while still warm. Let cool completely and serve. Any remaining granola bars should be placed in an air-tight container and should last 3-4 days.