Protein Snack Bites

I was so happy with how these turned out! I have made other small protein/snack bites before, but hadn't tried anything new in awhile. They are sweet without being too sweet, slightly crunchy while still being soft and creamy, full of protein, but still very tasty! I had sunflower seed butter on hand (as Trader Joe's had been out of almond butter) and I loved the flavor! Have one if you're a little hungry, have four if you need something more substantial, but don't have the time for a meal. They were perfect to have on a windy and cold summit (I had three at once) and great for after climbing gym snacks (I had one to two). Easy to make, easy to eat and completely made for customization!

Protein Snack Bites
How I Did It:

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut
2 tbsp chopped pecans
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1. In a large bowl mix together sunflower seed butter, honey, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.

2. Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, slivered almonds and toasted sesame seeds. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.

3. Cover bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (after you taste test it).

4. Remove from refrigerator and roll into tight balls. You can eat it as it is of course, but I recommend letting it firm up in the refrigerator for a bit. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Thin and Chewy Granola Bars

Lately I have been hesitant to buy chewy granola bars as there seems to be an awful lot of suspicious ingredients that are used to make them chewy and still stick together. I have made granola several times, so I thought, why not take it the next step and try making my own bars as well?  This time around I just went basic and they were quite good! Next time I think I would double it to make thicker bars...and so I could taste test a little more as I was making them. The "batter" before I cooked them was actually even better than the granola itself (cooking them just lessens the flavor a bit)! It has me wanting to make my own bars more often and experiment with different flavors beyond the basic. Maybe even try making ones that I can use as Clif and Luna Bar replacements.

Thin and Chewy Granola
How I Did It:

1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup rice crispies
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp oat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut
4 tbsp crushed sliced almonds
3 tbsp chopped raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 8x8" pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, rice crispies, oat flour, baking soda, and salt make sure to combine well. Set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl mix together oil, honey, brown sugar, apple sauce, and vanilla extract. Add mixture into the dry mixture and stir well. Add coconut, almonds, raisins, and cinnamon and mix until distributed evenly.

4. Pour mixture into your prepared pan and spread out evenly. Push down on it to condense your ingredients. Bake for about 15 minutes (until it starts to brown lightly). Your bars will have risen a bit...yes, that means you need to press them down some more. Careful, don't burn yourself!

5. Place in the refrigerator to harden up for at least 20 minutes. Remove and cut into whatever size bars you desire. They will be a bit crunchy, but if you store them in an airtight container overnight they will soften right up!