Forager Bars
Serves:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
- 1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cherries or pitted dates, chopped
- 3 small ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Olive oil, for greasing pan
Note: These bars are not terribly sweet to American standards. A few tablespoons of D-ribose powder can be added for extra sweetness.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-9-inch square pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Place the bananas, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a small food processor or blender and process until smooth. (You will have about 1 1/4 cup of puree.) Pour the banana puree over the oat mixture and stir until all the dry ingredients are evenly moist. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until firm and lightly browned on the edges. Let cool completely and cut into 6 bars. You can store them in an airtight container for a couple days, but I recommend wrapping them individually and freezing them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.