Matcha Granola Bars

I absolutely love granola bars... however, the ones we can buy in the supermarkets are usually full of sugar and other additives. Even those tagged with "high in protein", you need to watch out with their % in sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohol is less "evil" than actual sugar... but at the end of the day, in terms of healthy-eating, it is healthier to grab a piece of fruit than eating a protein bar.

Hence, homemade granola bars are worth to prepare them when you want to ensure you eat nourishing nutrients. Or you simply want to take care of your health :) Also, if you suffer food intolerances or allergies, homemade meals always help you ensuring that your body will positively react to the meal or snack.

Let's now get started with the granola bars! It takes between 15min-20min of preparation work.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup of oats

• 2 cups of granola / muesli (your favorite one!)

• 1 cup almonds

• 2 tbsp of coconut oil

• 3 tbsp of nuts or peanut butter (not crunchy!)

• 2 tbsp of maple syrup

• 6 dates (soaked first in water)

• Tiny pinch of salt

Matcha Coating:

• 200gr vegan white chocolate

• 1 tbsp Matcha powder

• 2 tbsp coconut oil / 30gr cocoa butter

Start by soaking the unpitted dates in water 20min before starting to cook.

Place the oats, granola / muesli and the almonds in a blender and blend it all until reaching a uniform dough. Then add the coconut oil and the dates. Blend it all and set it aside into a bowl.

Add the nuts / peanut butter and the maple syrup to the bowl and mix everything together with a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of salt and mix it all again. You should start seeing how the dough starts to become sticky.

Cover a square / rectangular cake tin with baking paper. Then pour the mix into the mould. Using a piece of baking paper, press down the mix and give them the square shape. Then set it aside in the fridge.

For the coating:

Melt the coconut oil or cacao butter in a saucepan (low fire). Then add the chocolate and stir everything well until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the matcha powder and stir again until reaching a uniform coating. Important: low fire or the mix will burn!!

Pour the mix on top of the cake tin where you have already the granola bar, and set it aside in the fridge to overnight. Et... voilà!!

If the mix wasn't sticky enough, you will get granola crumbles (like we see in the picture above, in the red bowl). It is ok! you can use them for example as a topping for yogurts or ice creams.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and having healthy treats for yourself!! I definitely do ;-)

If you try out the recipe, I would love to hear how it went!!

xx

Zohar