Hearty & Wholesome Granola Bars

#healthyessentialoilgranolabars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)

3-4 drops orange essential oil

2 cups rolled oats

1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts(raw)

1/2-3/4 cup almonds(raw)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (raw)

1/2 cup pepita seeds (raw pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds

1 tsp cinnamon (or 1 toothpick cinnamon essential oil added to the wet ingredients)

1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish and line with parchment paper so bars are easier to lift out.

2. In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth, stir in the vanilla, maple syrup and orange essential oil.

3. Place the rolled oats into food processor (or blender on the lowest speed) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still with lots of texture). Stir oats into the banana mixture.

4. Place the dried cranberries, walnuts, and almonds into the food processor or blender, and pulse until the nuts, fruit are coarsely chopped.

5. Combine the nuts, fruit and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and stir together, then stir everything into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined.

6. Spoon mixture into a prepared dish. Press down until compacted, and smooth out with hands until even. Use a pastry roller to smooth out if desired.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm and lightly golden along the edge. Place dish on cooling rack for 10 minutes then lift bars out by lifting the parchment paper. Place granola slab on a cooling rack, and allow to cool.

8. Slice into bars and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.