These homemade chocolate granola bars are great for busy mornings and a great meal prep option (made in under 30 minutes).
I've gotten into the habit of working out very early in the mornings. As a consequence, breakfast needs to be something quick and easy but packs enough fuel to get me through the gym.
Chocolate, peanut butter and oats for breakfast will never fail.
These are also great because they pack about 10g of protein per bar, depending on what kind of protein powder you use. I use the Vega Sport in Vanilla, which is a bit pricey but it's a great tasting plant-based protein powder.
Each bar also has 25g of carbs - a great way to fuel those workouts; and they keep me full enough without weighing me down. It's a win-win.
Goij berries (and dark chocolate) are high in antioxidants, which help to protect our cells against breaking down when they are exposed to toxins like smoke and radiation.
A recent study compared the results of participants who consumed goji berry juice for 14 days against those who didn’t. They found that those who drank goji berry juice reported an increase in their:
energy
athletic performance
ability to focus
overall well-being
You can find them at most health-food stores.
Side note - Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is such a great book. It's poetry and focuses on heartbreak and healing. The drawings in the book are quite unique also. I highly recommend it.
So let's get to the good part...
CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST GRANOLA BARS
Serves 4 (8 bars)
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp almonds, chopped
1 tbsp goji berries
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate squares, chopped
Sea Salt, to sprinkle
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
Heat a small pan on medium heat on the stove and combine the peanut butter and honey until warm. Add to oat mixture.
Add milk and stir until dough forms.
Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle and press almonds on top (make sure that they're really pressed in so they don't fall off).
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until set.
Remove from oven, top with the chocolate, goji berries and sea salt. Let cool completely. Then cut into 8 bars.
Refrigerate bars until ready to eat.
NOTES
These can be kept in an air tight container in fridge for about a week (but they'll probably all be gone by then).
You can also substitute the peanut butter for another type of nut/seed butter. Try to make sure it's a natural variety and not an overly-processed kind because those tend to be less runny and might be harder to mix in.
If you make this, let us see! Tag your photo with #ditchingdairy on Instagram.
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