Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

They’re the perfect, yummiest snack when you’re on the move, but sometimes they’re not vegan. And let's face it: sometimes those granola bars you purchase from the store are not really all that healthy, either. Instead of feeling forced to give them a miss because of the above, you can make your own at home - best of all, they're really fast and easy to bake!

Ingredients

14 prunes

14 dates and nuts of your choice

2 ripe bananas

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup of oats (choose gluten-free if you wish)

1 cup flour (again, go gluten-free if you want)

1 green apple (chopped up into pieces)

1 cup amaranth flakes

1 cup raw almond butter

How to Make it

1. While your oven is preheating at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, put the following into a bowl: bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and almond butter. Mix it well.

2. In a different bowl, mix together the oats, flour and amaranth flakes.

3. In your food processor, blend the dates, nuts and prunes, but stop when they are still a little chunky as you don’t want your bars to be too smooth.

4. Add the dry and wet ingredients together, mixing in what you've blended in the food processor.

5. Now, with your hands you can soften the mixture in the same way you would when making dough.

6. Add your chopped up apple to the blend.

7. Transfer your mixture into a well-oiled loaf pan. An alternative is to place foil at the bottom of the loaf pan so that it’s easier to remove the bars when they are done and it doesn’t result in the loaf pan needing intensive cleaning!

8. After the mixture has baked at 350 degrees F for approximately half an hour, take it out and place it on a rack so that it can cool down.

9. Slice the loaf into bars and pack it as your snacks!

This is delicious and healthy, and a great addition to your kids’ lunches!

*Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons