5 seed muesli bar recipe
Seeds. I can’t stress enough just how jam packed they are with goodness. Essential nutrients like zinc and magnesium which can be really hard to get into kids. The problem is… how do you get a kid to eat seeds???
I know and I hear you! It’s not the kind of thing they will pick up and snack on, so I’ve incorporated them into a muesli bar recipe which is delicious, healthy, nutritious and… wait for it…. NUT FREE so you can pack them for school.
There are some great muesli bars out there that you can buy, but a lot of the good ones have nuts in them. The ones that don’t have nuts are usually just full of sugar and don’t have any of the good stuff in them.
My muesli bars include:
Oats: great for fibre, magnesium and vitamin B1
Chia seeds: contain omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and magnesium
Pumpkin seeds: perfect for zinc, magnesium and iron
Sunflower seeds: great for vitamin E, all B vitamins and selenium
Flaxseeds: a super source of omega 3 fatty acids!
Sesame seeds: incredible source of calcium, zinc and magnesium
Dark chocolate: so good for you as it low in sugar and jam packed full of iron and magnesium
See, told you my muesli bars were awesome!
WINGS FOR WELLNESS HEALTHY 5 SEED, NUT FREE, MUESLI BAR RECIPE
-2 cuts of rolled oats
-¼ cup flax seeds
-¼ cup chia seeds
-¼ cup sesame seeds
-¼ cup pumpkin seeds
-¼ cup sunflower seeds
-1 table spoon acai powder (optional, see note at the bottom
-¼ teaspoon of salt
-1 tablespoon of coconut oil
-2 tablespoons of tahini
-½ a cup of rice malt syrup
-½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract
-90-100gms of dark chocolate (I like Green & Blacks organic 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
Line a 27cm x 18cm baking tray with baking paper (make sure the sides of the tray come up at least 2-3cm). Have another piece of baking paper, same size, ready- you will need it in the end.
In a large bowl mix the oats, seeds, acai powder and salt.
In a saucepan over medium/high heat mix the coconut oil, tahini, rice malt syrup and vanilla. You will need to whisk this mixture constantly for approximately 90 seconds once it begins to bubble. It can burn quickly, so whisk away and turn the heat down if it starts to burn.
Working quickly, pour the rice malt syrup mixture into the oats mixture and using a spatula, combine it all together making sure you get all the acia powder and seeds that have fallen to the bottom of the bowl.
Once well combined, scoop the mixture into the lined tray and try to spread it out as much as possible. Then lay the second piece of baking paper on top and press the mixture down until you have an even, compacted slab of muesli. Pop it into the fridge to cool.
Break up the dark chocolate into a heat proof glass bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water- don’t let the water hit the bowl, you just want the steam to gently warm the bottom of the bowl to melt the chocolate. Once melted, pour on top of the muesli slice and spread it around evenly. Pop back into the fridge to cool and set.
After a few hours you can slice it up. You can even freeze some for the future.
This recipe is very forgiving so you can swap some of the dry ingredients. You can also add some chopped dried fruit like cranberries or apricots.
NOTE: Acai powder can be bought from the health food shop. It is a powerful source of antioxidants and adds a delicious berry flavour. You don’t have to add it, but I definitely find it makes these muesli bars stand out!
