… after moaning about trousers no longer fitting and being unable to find anything to wear now that the warmer months are slowly approaching we’re on orders from The Viking that we’re doing a whole month without cake. In my mind this doesn’t mean I can’t bake cake for others or try to find a way to create healthy sweet dishes, so watch this space for more bending of the no-cake rules… any suggestions more than welcome
honey, fig and peanut butter granola bars
the original title for this post was going to be ‘sugar-free granola bars’ but I think this would have been a misnomer, whilst they certainly don’t have any added refined sugar there is plenty of natural sugar in the figs and honey to make these bars nice and sweet so whilst i’m not claiming that these bars are healthy they are so much better than they could be, if that makes any sense… the figs can be replaced with dates which are just as sweet but I think the figs add a certain fragrance that make these bars extra special.
… i’ve used almost an entire jar of the very scrumptious scrumshus premium granola which was sent to me last week. I had no real intention of doing anything with it but eat it but I thought these bars would be a fun way to share the granola’s gorgeousness with the guys at the office…
400g granola (try and use a natural granola like scrumshus made with no sugar other than honey)
2 tablespoons local honey
8 dried figs (the kind that are moist not a dried out husk)
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
a handful almonds
line a shallow baking tin with greased-proof paper
place the figs, honey and peanut butter into a large oven-proof bowl and using a hand-blender, whizz them together until they become a thick paste.
turn on the oven to 160C and place the bowl into the oven to warm up for about 10 mins after which it should become more pliable.
pour the granola and almonds into the paste and stir around until everything is coated then tip into the baking tin and push to the edges… I don’t mind if the edges are a little rough but you may want to be a little more precise about it… drizzle the top with a little more honey
bake in the oven for 20 mins, then take out and allow to cool before cutting into bars – they should stay fresh for a few days if kept in the fridge or even longer in the freezer
eat and of course, enjoy!
I'm not sure I could survive a month without cake but, that said, these look like a wonderful alternative! I love the use of figs in these, as you say just that little bit more special than using dates.
A whole month without cake?!! I think I would perish. Biscuits aren't cake but would that be laughing in the face of rules too much? Or there are raw treats to experiment with if you like them enough though for me there would be a challenge to get chocolate in there somehow =)
A whole month!? I bow to you.
I've just been working on a cake recipe for an article and I think I'm so over cakes right now but your recipe isn't cake, right so that doesn't count, yeah? Elinor x
A whole month….without cake……*passes out*
Because I'm not a baker, I probably already go a month at a time without cake… BUT.. that's not to say I wouldn't eat cake every day if someone put it in front of me… so a month without cake, well, I think the Viking might be a little harsh here!! lol
These granola bars sound delicious… I think I'd want to add a little chocolate in there though.. as chocolate is my cake and I could definitely not live without that for a month!!
They do look good. I adore honey, and figs and peanut butter!
A MONTH WOTHOUT CAKE?! Actually, my worst nightmare. But these would certainly make up for the bad dreams.
Good for you for a month without cake. These sound really nice, something a bit different for breakfast.
I'm looking forward to seeing what sweet, healthy non-cake items you make, Dom. I have the same problem with my trousers and struggle to give up a little sweetness. Maybe we need a new challenge?
What??? No cake??? Really? I'm trembling at the thought! Good luck with that…… But on the bright side, these look a pretty good substitute. Delicious!
I'm instantly sold – it's got peanut butter in it – instant win!!! Looks really tasty
I think you are brave to even state the goal of a month long cake purge … I could never do it, my friend!
No cake just cannot be a rule….there's flourless cake and flourless cookies…at least that's what I tell myself 😉
Glad to have stumbled by your blog and found these scrumptious granola bars!
these sound so good! I'm struggling with my waistline at the moment too – giving up the sweet stuff is hard when you're a food blogger *sigh*
NO CAKE! Wow, that will be a hardship Dom!! LOL! BUT, these healthier bars do look just as delicious in a oaty way, and I bet they fill the cake gap too!
Eek no cake? good luck! I make flapjacks using mashed banana to cut down on sugar and butter, and they work a treat but not made them 'sugar free' as of yet but they might work with a bit more experiments with other sweet ingredients?
Its weird as I don't like peanut butter on its own at all but I do love granola and your bars look really golden and tasty!
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Sounds yummy and healthy too. I will try this in my slowcooker. I invite you to visit my blog when you get chance. I share Indian vegetarian slowcooker recipes on my blog.