One night, before a hike, I wanted to make trail bars and just randomly picked what I had in my pantry. You can do the same: Use any nuts or seeds. And while blueberries have a higher antioxidant content than most other berries, you can totally swap them out for other dried fruits or berries you have. This is a high-calorie snack with a savory flavor that I’ve come to call “kitchen sink” bars.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw quinoa (any color)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup almond butter or other nut butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil + extra
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 pitted dates, roughly chopped
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (raw, toasted, salted: personal preference)
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ½ cup rolled oats
Instructions
Cook the quinoa: Rinse briefly in a colander, drain and transfer to a saucepan. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
Simmer on low for 15 minutes. If the quinoa is still liquid, strain through a sieve and let cool completely (see Note).
Line an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with parchment and grease with coconut oil (or use cooking spray).
In a small saucepan heat honey, nut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt for 2–4 minutes over medium heat (it helps the mixing process to evenly coat all ingredients).
In a small food processor, pulse the chopped dates, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried blueberries for 1–2 minutes, or until mixture has a crumbly but still coarse texture. Add ½ cup of the oats and cooked quinoa, blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until chopped.
In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix until you can press it together and it holds its shape (if needed add a bit more coconut oil).
Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Cut into 12 bars.
Tip: Freeze any trail bars you make before going on a hike: No matter the kind of bar, this will ensure they hold their shape and stay fresh during your hike, especially in the warmer months!
Note: If you prefer crunchy quinoa, change to 1 cup and add it raw. Or you can toast it in a single layer on a baking sheet for 5 minutes at 350°F.
Substitutes: Tahini is a great substitute for any nut butter. Looking to replace coconut oil? Use grapeseed oil (neutral), avocado oil or olive oil (not neutral).
