+GF
This bar is so delectable and portable that it easily becomes multifaceted. Enjoy these Apricot and Coconut Bars any way you see fit, or better yet, take inspiration from the list below: crumbled as granola, mixed with nut milk as cereal, traditional granola bar, smoothie topping, post-workout snack, preworkout snack, airport bite or midday treat. —MR
MAKES 12 SQUARES
3 tbsp (30 g) chia seeds
9 tbsp (135 ml) water
1 cup (170 g) almonds
1 cup (80 g) rolled oats
1 cup (170 g) raw buckwheat
1 cup (75 g) unsweetened coconut shreds
4–5 tbsp (60–75 ml) maple syrup
3 tbsp (42 g) coconut oil
1½ bananas
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (150 g) chopped dried apricots
Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a small baking dish (I used an 8 x 8-inch [20 x 20-cm] pan) with parchment paper.
Start by making the chia seed gel. Mix the chia seeds with the water and set aside until the chia seeds absorb all the water and expand into a gellike mixture—this is what keeps the bars intact.
In the meantime, roughly chop the almonds and add them to a baking sheet along with the oats and buckwheat. Place them in the oven to cook for 12 minutes. Halfway through, at 6 minutes, add the coconut shreds to the same baking sheet and mix to combine all the ingredients. When ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool as you prepare the sweet maple and banana sauce.
In a small pot, heat the maple syrup and coconut oil over low heat until it has melted and combined. Now simply blend the bananas, chia gel and sweet maple mixture in the food processor until smooth (a few seconds). Add more maple syrup if you prefer it on the sweeter side.
In a large bowl, add the roasted oat mixture, the sweet maple and banana sauce, salt, cinnamon and dried apricots. Mix well. Evenly pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing down firmly with your fingertips so as to keep the oats compact and stuck together. Increase the heat to 350°F (177°C) and bake for 25 minutes.
Once it is ready, let it cool for 15 minutes or so and then slice it into large pieces.