When it comes to quick snacks that pack well for school, granola bars are a favorite. Unfortunately, store bought granola bars (especially those marketed to kids) can be more akin to candy bars than health bars, featuring lots of sugar, preservatives, and highly processed ingredients. In this article, I’ll share a granola bar recipe that incorporates a unique base inspired by my homemade gut-healing marshmallows and is jam packed with nutrient dense nuts and seeds. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!
Gelatin in a Granola Bar?
Gelatin may seem like an unlikely ingredient for a granola bar, but the foundation of these bars is the same gut-friendly gelatin marshmallow base from my favorite Gut Healing Marshmallow Recipe. Gelatin supports gut health and digestion, providing essential amino acids like glycine, glutamic acid, and proline (1). Glycine is particularly important for maintaining the mucous lining of the digestive tract (2).
In our modern society, we often focus on muscle meats like chicken breasts, steaks, and other lean cuts, while leaving out more nutrient-dense cuts, such as liver and cuts that are rich in connective tissue like oxtail. I recognize that not everyone enjoys these flavors or textures, and this is why I often recommend grass-fed beef liver capsules, cod liver oil supplements, and recipes that incorporate bone broth or gelatin powder as convenient ways to increase nutrient intake without compromising on taste.
Rice Crispy Treat Meets Granola Bar
I see this granola bar as a mix between a healthy rice crispy treat and a nut bar. Rather than folding just rice cereal into the marshmallow mix, we fold in a mixture of toasted nuts, seeds, and grains, which provides a satisfying crunch and a wealth of nutrients. My recipe includes oats, chia, flax, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, organic puffed brown rice cereal, and some chopped chocolate, but this recipe can also be prepared using any nuts, seeds, and grains you prefer or have on hand.
I love any recipe that gets more nuts and seeds into my kids, because nuts and seeds are great sources of essential nutrients like omegas, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
If you’re looking to include more nuts and seeds into your family’s diet, check out these articles, too: Supporting Hormone Balance Naturally With Seed Cycling, Gluten Free Green Mom Granola, Overnight Chia Pudding Recipe
Dr. Green Mom’s Nut & Seed Gelatin Granola Bars
These granola bars are a nutritious addition to a school lunch box!
⏲️ Prep Time
15 minutes (plus 30 minutes setting time)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of grass-fed gelatin
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup of filtered water
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 cup of organic sprouted oats
- 1/4 cup of chia seeds
- 1/4 cup of flax seeds
- 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup of almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup of organic sprouted puffed brown rice cereal
- 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate (optional)
Directions
Set Up:
- Line a square pan with parchment paper.
- In a dry skillet, toast the oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and almonds until lightly golden and fragrant. Pour them into a dish and allow them to cool.
- Measure your chocolate and puffed rice and add it to the dish with your toasted and cooled nuts, seeds and oats.
Prepare The Marshmallow Base:
* Note that you’ll need to work quickly to fold your dry ingredients into your marshmallow base as soon as the marshmallow base is thick and fluffy. If you take too long, the marshmallow will start setting so this is important.
- In the bowl of your mixer, bloom the gelatin by combining it with 1/2 cup of water and letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix honey, maple syrup, and remaining 1/2 cup of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously and allow it to boil for 3-5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, take the boiling hot syrup mixture off the stove immediately but slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin mixture. Gradually increase the speed of your mixer to high and continue to mix until the mixture starts to thicken (usually about 5-10 mins, depending on the mixer). With the mixture still on high, add in your vanilla extract.
- Keep mixing on high until the mixture looks like marshmallow fluff (thick and fluffy).
Put it all together:
- Once the marshmallow base is ready, immediately begin to fold in your dry ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly coated. You may find that you need to add a little more puffed rice if the mixture is too wet, so I like to keep some extra nearby in case it’s needed. You want the final texture to be similar to recipe crispy treats – you’ll need it to be firm enough that you can press the mixture into a dish for it to set, but not so dry that it’s falling apart. I recommend starting with ¾ of your dry mixture, and adding the rest little by little so you can get the texture right.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly and pressing it down into the corners.
- Place the dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes to set.
- Once set, remove from the freezer and cut into chunks or bars.
- Store these bars in the fridge. They hold up fine in a lunch box at room temperature. Enjoy!
Looking for more guidance on putting together a healthy lunch box for your child? See: How To Pack A Nutritious School Lunch
Summary
These Nut & Seed Gelatin Granola Bars are a nutritious and tasty alternative to store-bought granola bars, made with a gut-friendly gelatin base and packed with toasted nuts, seeds, and grains. They are the perfect mix of crunchy and chewy and they’re filled with nutrients like omegas, fiber, and protein, making them a great addition to school lunch boxes. The recipe is easy to prepare, with simple ingredients like honey, maple syrup, oats, chia, flax, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, puffed rice, and dark chocolate. These bars are best stored in the fridge but hold up well at room temperature.
References:
- Rather, J. A., Akhter, N., Ashraf, Q. S., Mir, S. A., Makroo, H. A., Majid, D., Barba, F. J., Khaneghah, A. M., & Dar, B. N. (2022). A comprehensive review on gelatin: Understanding impact of the sources, extraction methods, and modifications on potential packaging applications. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 34, 100945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2022.100945
- Yang, Z., & Liao, S. F. (2019). Physiological Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Gut Health and Functions of Swine. Frontiers in veterinary science, 6, 169. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00169
