Chocolate Granola Bars Recipe

choc chunk nut bars

These bars are a firm favourite with all my friends and family.  

Whenever someone moves or we have a long journey ahead of us, I make whip this Chocolate granola bars recipe out, and they are always gratefully received.

They are perfect to nibble on in times of stress and need, because the magnesium in the oats, nuts and chocolate instantly relaxes and you’ll feel better.

These bars are not just food for your nerves though, with the essential oils in the nuts and the slow release energy in the oats, you won’t get hungry as quickly, which makes this the perfect snack when you can’t have a meal because you’re traveling. Infinitely better than a sickly sweet snack bar at a service station!

Choc Chunk Nut Bars
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 200g (1.5 cups) gluten free oats
  • 25g shredded coconut (3 Tbsp)
  • 100g coconut butter warmed up (8 Tbsp)
  • 8 Tbsp agave syrup
  • 100g brazil nuts (1 cup)
  • 50g almonds (half a cup)
  • 35g good quality dark chocolate (1/3 of a bar)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C, Gas 4 or 400 F. Line a 23cm/ 9in square tin and pre-heat it in the oven.
  2. Mix together the gluten free oats and coconut.
  3. Chop the almonds and nuts into chunks and break the chocolate into pieces
  4. Heat up the Coconut butter and syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat until fully dissolved. Stir in the coconut oats mixture. If too sticky add a little water to form a pliable dough. Add the nuts and stick bits of chocolate into the mixture.
  5. Spread over the lined pre-heated tin to form a square, about 2 cms high.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and lightly crisp.
  7. Use the back of a knife to mark into bars. Cool completely though before cutting, because it can get a bit crumbly. They keep in an airtight container or cake tin for a few days.

I shared this recipe with Minimal Ingredient Mondays, Gluten free Fridays and Fight Back Fridays.

    The original Chocolate granola bars recipe uses muscovado sugar (50g), 5 tbsp golden syrup and 140g butter which makes it stick together beautifully. But since we are creating a lean and super healthy refined sugar free version of this treat, we don’t have this luxury.

    Candida Diet Info:

    I have tried to make a completely sugar free version of these bars – in true candida warrior style – with stevia only. But it not only doesn’t taste nice, it also comes apart, which is no fun.

    So the Chocolate Granola Bars below are healthiest yummiest bars of this kind, period!

    If you are still struggling with Candida these bars are too sweet a snack for you. I would recommend to avoid all snacks rich in carbs during the first 3-4 weeks of the candida diet at least. After that you can try spelt pancakes or coconut flour pancakes, and once your candida levels are under control these snack bars might be ok for you. Only if all those snacks agree with you, and you don’t show any symptoms when eating fruit I would try the Granola Bars recipe on this page.

    I don’t mean to torment you if you are not yet allowed to eat this — don’t forget it has taken me years to get to this stage! Regardless whether you can enjoy these snack bars now or at a later date – it’s reassuring to know you will eventually be able to eat chocolatey things like this :)

    choc chunk nut bars

       

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      10 Comments

      • shakti

        Reply Reply September 27, 2013

        Could you stir in a little tahini instead of the chocolate?
        Could you leave some of the agave out – very sweet and sets my teeth on edge.
        I just love bars though and they are PORTABLE… I would like some VERY low on sweet and, savoury?

      • Sandra

        Reply Reply September 27, 2013

        Genius idea with the tahini – will start experimenting pronto :)
        That should help to hold it all together without the agave. Have you seen my sesami nori rice balls? They are savoury!

      • Cat

        Reply Reply September 27, 2013

        Ooo! I like the idea of tahini! Going to try these… both ways. :-)

        • Sandra

          Reply Reply September 27, 2013

          Awesome! If you do please come back and give me more than 2 stars, so I can recover from Shakti’s rash rating ?

      • Candace @ Candida Free Candee

        Reply Reply October 26, 2013

        Looks great! I wonder if a chia egg would help for the reader looking to hold them together?

        • Sandra

          Reply Reply October 26, 2013

          Great idea, I think that could work.

      • Emma

        Reply Reply January 13, 2014

        Oh gosh these look soooo good. I definitely can’t have them at the moment but hopefully in the near future!

        • Sandra

          Reply Reply January 13, 2014

          :) I hope you do – they really are delicious!
          Thanks for stopping by – hope you had a smooth start in the new year. All my best

      • Erin S

        Reply Reply January 14, 2014

        Oh my! I love granola bars, especially when chocolate is an ingredient. Thanks for linking-up to Minimal Ingredient Mondays, I’m featuring your recipe this week :)

        • Sandra

          Reply Reply January 14, 2014

          Thanks so much Erin!
          Chocolate is always a winner ?

          Maybe a kind soul will then rate the recipe – and recover the unjustified 2-star rating this lovely recipe got given by a previous reader. I think it deserves 5 stars lol

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