Eating on a road trip is like eating at a sports game — your healthy food choices are limited at best. We do our best to follow these top healthy-eating tips while traveling but it doesn’t always work out. Why? Because comfort food from a hole-in-the-wall diner or roadside bakery always sounds amazing.
But, riding in the car after eating a heavy meal is asking for a food coma. Enter our homemade road trip snacks that are delicious and healthy-ish.
So, before I hit the road, I make these no-bake Blueberry Almond Granola Bars. They’re easy to make, loaded with good-for-me ingredients, satisfy both the sweet and savory tooth, and have tons of nutty protein. Best of all, they haven’t been sitting on a gas station shelf for six months.Â
Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Salty Sweet Blueberry Almond Granola Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-natural almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 cup brown rice syrup or honey or Maple syrup
- 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned rolled oats pulsed in a food processor 4 to 5 times)
- 1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice or wheat cereal
- 1/2 cup flax meal
- 1/2 cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates about 6 dates
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or blueberries
- 1/2 cup whole raw almonds
- 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare The Sheet Pan:Â Prepare a small rimmed baking sheet (about 13-inch-by-9-inch) or a one-quarter sheet pan by brushing with a neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, or coconut) or spraying with a nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang to help remove the bars and respray the paper.
- Make The Nut Butter Mix:Â Combine the nut butter and brown rice syrup in a food processor fitted with a dough blade or in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. In a second bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the sea salt, and using clean hands, thoroughly mix and separate dried fruit pieces until thoroughly mixed. Â Pulse or mix the nut butter mixture at low speed until it is evenly combined, about 15 seconds or 10 (1 second) pulses. Add the bowl of dry ingredients and pulse or mix until the mixture is well combined, about 30 seconds or 30 (1 second) pulses (the mixture should come together as one ball, and the nut butter mixture should be evenly distributed).
- Press Into The Prepared Pan:Â Transfer the granola bar mixture to the prepared pan (it should be holding together as one ball at this point, if not, add a spoon of syrup or water and mix it a few more times to help it come together). Spray your fingers with nonstick spray or coat in neutral oil and pressing the mixture down firmly so that it fits in an even layer into the pan.Coat the bottom of a measuring cup with oil, then press the mixture down so it is compact (it should resemble a peanut butter Clif Bar at this point). Sprinkle with a large pinch of sea salt, top with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll out the bars to an even layer using a small rolling pin or a can.Â
- Unmold The Granola Bars: Let granola bar set in the pan for at least one hour before unmolding and cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment paper and seal with a sticker or twine. Store at room temperature (or in the refrigerator or freezer if it's particularly hot) until ready to use — they'll last up to one week.
