Red Lentil Granola Bar Recipe

This vegan red lentil granola bar recipe is packed with protein, fiber, and flavor! These make a satisfying on-the-go snack or breakfast, and you can’t taste the lentils, I promise. They’re vegan, too!

I know what you’re thinking – lentils in a granola bar?! But stick with me here – I promise you can’t taste them. Official fANNEtastic food taste testers (aka my mom and Matt) have confirmed this statement.

Turns out lentils are really good in granola bars – they add satisfying protein (and fiber) without affecting the flavor! These came out nice and moist, too. I whipped up a batch of these a few weeks ago and loved having them on hand for my travel to Oregon – they made a really satisfying plane snack and breakfast!

Besides the lentils, other nutritional all-stars in this recipe include almond butter, walnuts, and ground flaxseed (love that healthy fat), whole wheat/spelt flour and oats (fiber-tastic), and dried tart cherries (antioxidants FTW). The only sweetener is a little pure maple syrup – and some cinnamon to add flavor. Eat up!

You can use dry lentils and boil them quickly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients, or, to speed up this easy recipe even more, just use a standard size can of pre-cooked lentils. Either way works! Just mix all the ingredients together, throw into a pan, and bake. Easy!

I recommend slicing the bars into various sizes (so you can grab a bigger or smaller one depending on hunger), wrapping individually in foil, and storing in the fridge so they last longer. Let me know how you like them! Here’s the recipe.

Red Lentil Granola Bars

by fANNEtastic food

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: vegan whole wheat/grain dairy free

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Ingredients (16 to 20 bars)

• 1 cup dry red lentils (or one 15 oz can of red lentils, drained + rinsed)
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2/3 cup smooth almond butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt (cut in half if using canned salted lentils)
• 1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2/3 cup chopped dried tart cherries

Instructions

• Combine the red lentils and 2 cups water in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the lentils are just tender. Allow to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix cooked lentils with all remaining ingredients until evenly incorporated.
• Pat the mixture evenly into a greased and foil-lined 9×13″ baking dish.
• Bake for about 25-35 minutes, until the center is very firm to the touch and the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into bars.

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Happy on-the-go eating, my friends!

Have you ever tried adding lentils to baked goods? Feel free to share recipe links! I bet they would be good in brownies, too… I know black beans are!

Red Lentil Granola Bar Recipe originally appeared on fANNEtastic food | Registered Dietitian Blog | Recipes + Healthy Living + Fitness on July 20, 2016.

The post Red Lentil Granola Bar Recipe appeared first on fANNEtastic food | Registered Dietitian Blog | Recipes + Healthy Living + Fitness.