Sourdough Protein Granola Bars (SPG Bars)

The newest obsession these past few weeks have been: these INCREDIBLE Sourdough Protein Granola Bars… I know, a bit of a mouthful for a name so I call them the SPG Bars for sake of ease but WOW did these turn out tasty!! And actually like a granola bar you’d buy at the grocery store- only it’s filled with homemade goodness that you could snack on at any time of the day!

My goal truly was to replicate the chocolate dipped granola bars you can buy at grocery stores so I was genuinely happy with how they turned out! And luckily their consistency stays good even at room temperature so they’ve been a great snack to bring golfing, walking or sit with me while breastfeeding!!

 

LOTS of benefits to this recipe – primarily that it is HIGH in protein as well as fats, complex carbohydrates and minerals so they make a great PRE or POST workout snack or something to eat in the morning on the way to work. They also make a great snack to support lactation production, support in recovery or reducing inflammation throughout the body thanks to the wide range of amino acids as well as a fermented element to help make ALL of these benefits even more bioavailable.

 

Because of their high cacao content, it’s definitely a snack i’d suggest eating before the afternoon or giving in small amounts to kids. (see my suggestion of cutting them up into small bite-size bits!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups Oats (or 3 cups Granola and omit the nuts/seeds below)
• 1 cup Flour of choice
• 1/2 cup Protein Flour of choice
• 1/4 cup Ground Flax
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon
• 1 – 2 cups of optional add-ins: chocolate chips, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins, coconut flakes, freeze dried blueberries, hemp seeds, etc.
• 1 cup Peanut Putter or Tahini (Could also use Apple Sauce instead or 50/50
• 1/2 –  1 cup Sourdough Starter (if it’s active use 1 cup if its discard/not very active use 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil, melted
• 1/4 cup Butter, melted (could use only coconut oil or only butter as well)
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp Vanilla
• Make your own chocolate to dip in or use chocolate chips melted in coconut oil to dip in.
• Sea Salt to top

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk Dry ingredients, leaving out any freeze dried items.
2. Mix in wet ingredients, ideally with your hands to blend well.
3. Once items all well mixed, gently fold in any freeze dried items.
4. Pour evenly into a parchment lined deep dish and press down to flatten.
5. Leave covered in a warm space for 30min – 3hrs – the longer the better (you could also skip this step and go straight to cooking but will have minimal ferment benefits.)
6. When ready to bake, place in a cold oven and turn oven to 325. Bake for 30min or until toothpick comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake!
7. While those are baking, melt the chocolate using a double boiler method. When Melted, place in the fridge to start to cool slightly.
8. Once the bars are cooked, let cool completely before cutting into bars or bites!
9. When the bars are cold to touch, dip in the choocolate and lay on parchment lined baking sheets.
10. Once you have dipped them all, sprinkle with flakey sea salt before placing in a fridge or freezer to set.

NOTES

• Make a doubled batch to store in the fridge & freezer!

With love,

Heidi MacAulay, R.H.N.

“Eat more plants. Do more yoga. Read more books.”Learn more about me, my credentials or how to work with me here!