Homemade healthy snack bars are a great alternative to name-brand snack bars that are typically high in price, loaded with sugars, but low in nutrient content. The following homemade healthy snack bars are not only easy to prepare, they also taste great too.
3 Homemade Healthy Snack Bars Recipes
1. No-bake Chewy Granola Bars. One of homemade healthy snack bars that is easiest to prepare is this no-bake treat. You need a cup of light corn syrup, ½ cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 ½ cups cashew butter, 1 cup of powdered non-fat milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 3 cups granola cereal, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. To make these no-bake homemade healthy snack bars, prepare a baking pan and a sheet of waxed paper coated with cooking spray. Set pan aside. Then stir together corn syrup and brown sugar over medium to high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the sugar syrup to a simmer and cook for 30 seconds more. Then remove the pan from the heat and mix in cashew butter, powdered milk and vanilla. Stir batter until smooth. Put in the granola and cinnamon, then transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Use the waxed paper, oiled side down, to flatten the mixture. Let it stand for an hour until it cools, then slice into 24 homemade healthy snack bars that you can seal with sheets of waxed paper. These chewy bars can last up to week, and make excellent trail snack when on a camping trip.
2. Fruit Bars. Fruits are a great ingredient to homemade healthy snack bars that kids can take with them for vitamin-packed dessert. You can pair whatever fruit you think would go well together, but the great duos are almonds and apricots, and dates and walnuts. In a food processor, chop 1 cup of dried fruit and 1 ½ cups of nuts that you decided to use for these homemade healthy snack bars. Then, mix chopped fruits and nuts with ½ cup honey, ½ cup wheat germ, 2/3 cup flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 4 tablespoons juice or water, to make a thick batter. Mix all ingredients well, and press into an 8×8-inch square pan greased earlier. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake batter for 30 minutes or until firm. Let the slab cool and cut into 12 homemade healthy snack bars.
3. Chocolate Fruit Bars. A great excuse to baking is to enjoy guilt-free chocolate. You get to choose healthy ingredients that tickle the palate but do not load you with calories. These chocolate-based bars are easy to make and easier to enjoy. In a pan, mix and bring to a boil 1 ½ cups honey, 2 ounces white chocolate, and ¼ cup butter. Then remove pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla. To make these homemade healthy snack bars crunchier, mix in 1 cup nuts or sunflower seeds, 1 cup diced dried fruit, 2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter, 5 cups quick-cooking oats, and ½ cup wheat germ or shredded coconut. Pour dough onto a baking sheet and flatten into a rectangular slab about an inch thick. Let slab cool, and then cut into homemade healthy snack bars of desired size.
