Method
• Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
• Line a baking tray with butter paper to prevent the bars from sticking.
• Chop the nuts in a blender. For best results, blend one cup of nuts at a time.
• Mix the chopped nuts, dried fruits, coconut and seeds in a large bowl.
• In a saucepan, melt some coconut oil on low heat. Remove the saucepan from the flame and pour maple syrup into the oil, whisking continuously.
• Add vanilla extract to the oil mixture and whisk thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture into the bowl and mix it with the nuts, fruit and seeds well.
• Place the granola mixture on the lined baking tray and bake it for approximately 30 minutes, tossing after every 10 minutes.
• Once removed from the oven, allow the granola to cool for 20 minutes. Once cooled, break it into chunks and serve warm.
Note:
• This recipe serves eight.
• Granola bars taste even better with warm coconut or almond milk.
Did You Know?
It is hardly breaking news that nuts raise body temperature and also gives your memory a boost but did you know that some nuts also reduce blood cholesterol levels? Incorporating just a handful of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachios, etc, can reduce the risk of heart disease by keeping cholesterol at bay. However, these nuts are also high in calories so just a handful is what you want to have. And avoid salted or sugar-coated, packaged nuts as they will only boost your cholesterol!
Top five foods to control cholesterol
• High-fibre foods like oatmeal and bran
• Baked or grilled fish
• Olive and other vegetable oils
• Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits
• Soybeans and food items made from soy
• Chocolate, taken in balanced quantities
• Tea, consumed in controlled portions
Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, September 28th, 2014.
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