Granola Bars with Toasted Quinoa

I've been making my own granola bars for a while now. I like being able to customize what is in my bars and I think they taste way better than anything you can buy in a store. However, this was the first time I decided to add quinoa to my granola bars. I eat a plant based diet and it can be hard to consume enough protein. Quinoa is a great option for vegetarians or people who are trying to eat less meat because it is a complete protein, which means it has all of the amino acids. It is also a great source of fiber, magnesium and iron! So if you are looking to try out quinoa, this is a great recipe for you!

First you need to soak you quinoa in water for about 5 minutes. Then strain it and toast it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375F. This will result in a nice crunchy quinoa that will add great texture to you bars. 

I then add in oats, flax seed, and chopped almonds. You can add any type of nut that you like. Cashews work really well in this recipe too.  Toast it all for about 5-10 minutes, stirring a few times, until your oats are a nice golden brown color. 

In the mean time, melt your coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Once your dry ingredients are toasted, dump it all into a mixing bowl and pour in the honey/coconut oil mixture. Then stir in any additional ingredients you would like in your granola bars. I used craisins, dried cherries, and dark chocolate chips (adds antioxidants!). The chocolate chips will melt in with the honey. If you want your chocolate chips to stay solid chips, you will have to let your mixture cool before adding them. 

Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with foil and grease with a little bit of coconut oil (this step is critical unless you want to scrape sticky granola off the bottom of your pan). Refrigerate the granola for about 3 hours to harden. 

Then take it out and cut it into bars. Enjoy!

I keep my granola bars in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and they stay fresh for about a week.

RECIPE

1 cup Quinoa (dry)

2 cups Oats (not instant)

1/4 cup Flax seeds

1/2 cup Almonds (chopped)

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Honey

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Dried fruit of your choice

1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1.) Preheat oven to 375F. 

2.) Soak quinoa for 5 minutes. Then drain and spread into baking pan. Toast in oven for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3.) Add oats, flaxseeds, and almonds to baking dish. Toast another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats are a golden brown. 

4.) In a small saucepan melt coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and brown sugar over medium heat. 

5.) Add toasted oat mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in melted coconut oil/honey mixture until well combined.

6.) Stir in dried fruit and chocolate chips.

7.) Spread granola mixture into foil lined 9x9 baking pan and refrigerate for 3 hours

8.) Remove granola from pan. Cut into bars and enjoy!