A few months ago I decided to finally give up peanuts and almonds for good. I have taken food sensitivity tests and they are major inflammatory foods for me. They make my tongue itch, and I was starting to get hives all over my arms when I ate them so I decided to give them up because if they are causing external issues I can only imagine what they are doing internally! With all that being said, I have been using cashews a lot more in recipes. It is not the worst thing either as they have always been my favourite nut. So here we have...
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan-ish)
You will need:
2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 cup natural cashew butter
1/3 cup mixed super seeds (I have a ziplock bag that I have pumpkin, chia + hemp seeds in and use to garnish different meals, etc)
1/3 cup honey (this is why they are vegan-ish, some vegans don't consume honey so if you fall into that category, substitute with maple syrup)
1/3 cup dairy free mini chocolate chips
Either a silicone mold or a parchment lined square baking pan
Instructions
Mix together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a food processor or a blender until well combined. You should be able to grab the mixture and form it into balls without it crumbling apart too much. If they do not hold together at all, add more cashew butter or honey.
Finally, add in chocolate chips and stir them in manually (if you blend them in they will still taste the same but I like them with chocolate chips showing as I am a small child at heart)
Either scoop into the molds or the baking pan and freeze for at least 3 hours. If you are using a baking pan, cut evenly into bars after the 3 hours. Keep frozen or store in the refrigerator for best results
HAPPY SUMMER! XO