RECIPE: Homemade Crunchy Bars

Crunchy bars. Such a winning formula and a versatile recipe to do your way. Mix it up with the dried fruit, seeds and nuts you have and I’m sure this will be a staple in your kitchen. These bars last up to a week, if you can keep your hands off them that long! If after a few days the bars soften, simply pop back into the oven for a few minutes and that will help return the crunch.

Wrap them up and keep them on hand for when the munchies hit hard.

These crunchy bars are a great way to get into making your own portables. They’re much cheaper than buying muesli bars and you have more choice over what goes into them. Mix up the seeds, nuts and dried fruit to suit your taste.

Wrap these individually and pop them in your backpack or jersey. They’re a great bar to have on the bike or after a long ride.

Crunchy Bars

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup brown rice flour (GF or plain flour works well, too)

1 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped apricots

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1tsp baking powder

Pinch salt flakes

1tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup rice malt syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius, fan forced. Grease slice tin and line with baking paper.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

3. Place vanilla, rice malt syrup and coconut oil in a saucepan. Cook until mixture boils. Remove.

4. Stir wet mixture through dry mixture until combined. Press mixture into pan and push down firmly

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn oven off and leave bars for a further 5minutes.

6. Leave in tin for 15 minutes before cooling on a cake rack. Slice and store in an air tight container.

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