Fall Harvest Healthy Granola Bars

Ingredients

1. 2 cups old-fashioned oats (don’t use instant or quick-cooking oats!)
2. 1 cup whole almonds, roughly chopped
3. ½ cup pumpkin seeds
4. 1 cup packed pitted Medjool dates
5. ⅓ cup maple syrup
6. ¼ cup creamy almond butter or peanut butter
7. ½ cup dried cranberries
8. ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet with sides. Toast in the oven until slightly golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
2. Chop dates in a food processor in short bursts until you have a rough paste. Scrape into the bowl with the oat mixture.
3. Warm maple syrup and almond butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring to blend. Add to the bowl along with the dried berries. Mix well to evenly distribute the chopped dates.
4. Line an 8x8in pan with baking parchment so the paper hangs over the sides. Spoon the oat mixture into the pan and pack it down with the back of the spoon. Freeze for 20 minutes.
5. Lift the contents out of the pan and set on a cutting board. Cut into 16 bars. Store the bars in an airtight container for a few days or freeze for longer storage.