Do you love chia seeds as much as I do? I eat chia every day – typically in my morning shake, but I wanted a baked recipe that would incorporate more of them and provide some fuel throughout the day. Originally grown in Mexico, chia seeds were eaten by Aztec warriors to give them extra energy and endurance. I’m no Aztec warrior but I do like to snack here and there, especially to power up before or after a workout.
I figured these bars could be a nice way to add some extra energy, protein and fiber to my diet (via the additional ingredients of quinoa, oats, almonds and almond butter) throughout the week and keep me going when I’m feeling a snack attack.
The subtle addition of cardamon is a nice touch, but if you don’t have it I would just add in extra cinnamon.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds (I just kept them whole)
- 1 cup rolled oats (gluten free or regular)
- 1/4 tsp. salt (I used pink Himalayan)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
- 1/2 cup raw almonds or walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/2 cup almond butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa, chia seeds, ground or whole flax seeds, oats, salt, cinnamon, cardamon and walnuts or almonds.
Combine the honey, brown rice syrup and almond butter into a microwave safe dish and microwave for about a minute or so to soften.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir to combine with a plastic spatula, incorporating everything fully.
Once mixed together, transfer mixture to an 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment paper. Press the chia/quinoa/oat mixture into the bottom and flatten so everything is even.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool for about 10 minutes. Do not remove them from the pan at this point. After 10 minutes, remove the bars by pulling up the parchment paper and place them on a wire rack to cool for an additional 20 minutes or so.
Once completely cooled, cut finished bars with a sharp knife. Wrap in saran wrap and store in fridge until ready to eat!
Nutty, crunchy and a little chewy these bars will keep me going all week long. Enjoy!
KristinKooks 