Manuka Honey and Oats Granola Bars

These Honey and Oats Granola Bars are miles tastier than the store bought ones!!

Thank you Comvita Manuka Honey for sponsoring this recipe and keeping Vikalinka cooking!

Do your kids eat school lunches or are you a packed lunch mom? Mine have always been turning their noses up at school lunches until Mitchell moved to secondary school and all of a sudden “food is amazing” there. Vika is still firmly in a packed lunch category and it gets to be difficult to be creative. Brad is the one who makes lunches every morning and she recently cheekily accused him of “getting lazy” with them. The nerve!!

Undoubtedly her lunches are the same every day; a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a yogurt tube and a granola bar. Every single day! But that’s how she wants it and the main thing that is non- negotiable is a granola bar. Other items often come home uneaten but never her granola bar! She loves them and so does Mitchell but since he doesn’t bring his lunches to school he feels that he is really being shorthanded on his granola bar allotment.

Granola bars are a great snack on the go-dense, nutritious food that keeps us fueled up for a while. The only downside is that they could be a bit pricy and who know what ingredients are used! I was sure I could do better at home, especially after I was approached by Comvita Manuka Honey and asked to develop a recipe using their delicious product.

I’ve heard of Manuka honey before and its healing properties but have never tried it myself, so naturally I was curious and excited to work with Comvita Manuka Honey to test it for myself.  First of all, I’ve heard that Manuka honey though could be used to heal sore throats and digestive problems to just name a few, could also have quite a strong and pronounced taste.

My grandfather comes from a family of beekeepers, and I grew up on the most delicious, fragrant, raw honey there is, so I am a bit picky when it comes to the honey taste. This Manuka honey by Comvita from New Zealand was so delicious I was tempted to just stick the spoon in the jar and keep going but I didn’t. I showed restraint.  I also learned that not all Manuka honey on the market are created equal. If you want to make sure you are buying an authentic product that comes with all the health benefits, look for a UMF® quality mark, which Comvita Manuka honey has had since 1974. 

I made my granola bars quite simple. Just oats, honey, coconut oil, a bit of unprocessed sugar for sweetness and hazelnuts but you can use any nuts or seeds you love or even a sprinkle of chocolate chips.

Manuka Honey and Oats Granola Bar Recipe Notes

• I used raw Demerara sugar that has a naturally caramel-like flavour and together with Manuka honey they deliver a beautiful taste. You can also experiment with Muscovado or Turbinado sugars.
• This recipe is easily adaptable, feel free to vary your add-ons like different nuts, seeds or chocolate chips.
• Use parchment paper for easy removal!!
• I left my hazelnuts whole due to a personal preference but your bars will hold together better if you chop your nuts.
• The recipe makes 16 bars that should be kept in an air-tight container, otherwise they will turn soft, especially if you live in a humid place like England!

Manuka Honey and Oats Granola Bars

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 16

Author: Julia Frey of Vikalinka

Ingredients

• 250 g/2/5 cups Scottish porridge oats/rolled oats
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp Manuka honey
• 150 g/1 cup hazelnuts
• 4 tbsp Demerara sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then roughly chop.
• In a large bowl combine oats, melted coconut oil, Manuka honey, Demerara sugar and chopped nuts.
• Line a 9" X 13" pan with parchment paper making sure the sides overhang from the pan, then empty the contents of the bowl into the pan, spread evenly and then pack in tightly.
• Bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden and smells of honey. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then pick up by the overhanging sides of parchment paper and lift from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 rectangles. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container.

Tried this recipe?Mention @vikalinka or tag #vikalinka!