By Chef Josh Wickham and the SNAC Club at Columbus State Community College
The Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) works to enrich the experiences of those pursuing degrees related to nutrition at Columbus State Community College. SNAC organizes extracurricular education seminars, career-building opportunities, enrichment workshops and volunteer events to promote healthy eating and sound nutrition. When asked to create a recipe using hemp hearts they co-created these granola bars with Chef Josh Wickham.
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats (old-fashioned style)
- 1 cup shelled hemp hearts
- ½ cup dried blueberries (or other favorite dried fruit)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup orange blossom honey (raw unfiltered if possible)
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Line a small baking pan with parchment and spray lightly with pan spray; set aside.
Combine oats, dried fruit, hemp hearts, brown sugar and cinnamon; mix well and set aside.
Combine coconut oil, honey and almond butter in a small sauce pot. Carefully heat over low heat while stirring to evenly combine. Do not over-heat. Once melted, add the vanilla and salt.
Once the liquids are evenly combined, pour the mixture into the oats. Stir quickly to combine wet and dry ingredients.
Pour the mixture into the parchmentlined pan and press gently to firm and increase the density of the bars. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Cut the bars to desired shape and size and wrap individually. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and a couple of months in the freezer.
Makes 12 bars
