homemade protein/fiber bars ♥

in one word, these bars are delectable.

I have been a fan of nutrigrain bars since I was a little girl, the blueberry flavor was my favorite. Now that I'm older I know that the measly 2 grams of protein and astonishing 12 grams of artificial sugar is not what I want to be putting into my body. Plus I know that it wont keep me full and I don't need to consume empty calories.

In light of my epiphany, I wanted to find a recipe that would fit my needs, while tasting still good. I found this recipe online and thought that it would be a great base to work with.

here's how I tweaked it.

Filling

10 dried dates in food processor ¼ cup of fig butter & 2 TBSP blackberry preserves

Crust

½ cup each of walnuts and almonds in the food processor.

¾ cup of Soy Flour

½ cup packed cup light brown sugar & 2 TBSP honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cups Gluten Free Oats

1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 egg, at room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

I also added 1 teaspoon of Cardamom and 1/3 cup of flax seed mix from Trader Joe's

Instead of oiling the baking dish I used Reynolds new foil/parchment paper combo (cuts down on unwanted fat) I made the crust recipe with out the honey and divided it in half. I flattened the first half into the bottom of the pan. Then I mixed up the filling recipe and put that down as a second layer. Then I added the honey to the second half of the crust and laid that down as the third layer. Then I baked it for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool completely, the bars need to set before you cut into them.

I sliced mine into the size of Nutrigrain bars- for nostalgia sake. But you can slice them however you like. With my substitutions I approximated that there are about 6 or more grams of fiber in each bar and about 9 or more grams of protein.

Let me know if you substitute anything else or if you try a different flavor for the filling.