Aussie Bars: Food for the Trail

Our family is always searching for great snacks we can take with us on the trail that are healthy, provide great energy AND don’t cost an arm and a leg.

It’s not easy keeping kids fed and energized, especially when we are spending long days on the trail.

I decided to make these bars after trying a similar product called “Aussie Bites” from Costco. They were full of whole grains, healthy fats, and dried fruit.

Even more importantly, they stuck together really well and didn’t crumble all over the place. Often, the Achilles heel of homemade granola bars is that they disintegrate, but not these!

I read a few recipes online, before modifying a couple and creating bars instead of muffin cup bites. I hope your children enjoy these as much as mine do.

Need some more ideas for snacks on the trail? Check out this post with many of our favorite ideas.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 T cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted (or can do all coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulverize half of the oats in your food processor or blender until the oats are the consistency of a coarse flour.

Add the remaining oats, dried fruit, seeds, and other dry ingredients. Process until the raisins and apricots are in small bits. The mixture might begin to stick together at this point.

Pour in the remaining ingredients, and pulse to combine.

Remove mixture from the food processor and mix thoroughly in a bowl.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide the oat mixture into two even parts.

Take one part and press into the pan in a rectangular shape. Repeat with the other part. Leave space between each section.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 13-16 minutes–until evenly browned. Remove from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Cut the oblong slabs into bars and leave on the pan with space in between each bar.

Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove, and let cool.

Store in an airtight container or bag for 4 days at room temperature, or for longer in the fridge or freezer.

Aussie Bars

Print

These Aussie Bars are a perfect non-crumbly homemade granola bar option for energy on the trail.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 T cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted (or can do all coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pulverize half of the oats in your food processor or blender until the oats are the consistency of a coarse flour.
3. Add the remaining oats, dried fruit, seeds, and other dry ingredients. Process until the raisins and apricots are in small bits. The mixture might begin to stick together at this point.
4. Pour in the remaining ingredients, and pulse to combine.
5. Remove mixture from the food processor and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
6. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide the oat mixture into two even parts.
7. Take one part and press into the pan in a rectangular shape. Repeat with the other part. Leave space between each section.
8. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 13-16 minutes--until evenly browned. Remove from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
9. Cut the oblong slabs into bars and leave on the pan with space in between each bar.
10. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove, and let cool.
11. Store in an airtight container or bag for 4 days at room temperature, or for longer in the fridge or freezer.

Pin it:

© 2019, Tales of a Mountain Mama. All rights reserved. Republication, in part or entirety, requires a link back to this original post and permission from the author.