Forager Bars

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.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-9-inch square pan.
2. 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.
3. 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.