I am not above gathering my children’s lunch in the form of snacks purchased progressively from store after store when we are out and about running our errands before naptime.
On these days, my children enjoy a progressive lunch of a piece of fresh fruit selected from one store, some variety of nutty trail mix purchased from another, and then the grand finale of an individual carton of goldfish to eat on the way home. Actually, that last one is a win-win because for me it is largely motivated by wanting to keep my middle child awake long enough to be able to nap when we return home. No shame in the game. Anything to preserve the sanctity of naptime.
Not too long ago, my children and I were waiting in the checkout line at Target, our third and final stop. My boys were crouched down in front of the three-dollar princesses. Clutching the carton of kid crack in one hand, and discussing the names of the princesses in the other. (They don’t actually know many but it’s fun to hear them try).
I took the opportunity while they were distracted to pick out my own lunch/snack– a dark chocolate granola bar with five super grains.
The package boasts a lot. Healthy. Gluten free. Non GMO. Five super grains.
And it is a great choice and healthy and whatnot. But what made me laugh is that along with the five super grains, there are five types of sweeteners.
I’m not opposed to things being sweetened. I enjoy pies and cookies and so on. But this just seemed a little silly. So I decided to make my own.
Dark Chocolate Super Grain Bars
These bars come together really quickly and are only sweetened with honey. They are made with six gluten-free grains. (Oh yeah, I took it up a notch). If you’ve never bought some of these grains before, they can likely be found for a frugal price in the bulk section of your nearby (health food) grocery store.
Find links to more nutrition information about each of these grains at the bottom of the post.
The recipe also gives instructions for how to make your own brown rice flour. If you want, you can substitute all-purpose or another type of flour.
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PinIngredients
- 3 C oats
- 1 1/2 C brown rice flour
- 1/4 C millet*
- 1/4 C quinoa*
- 1/4 C chia seeds
- 1/4 C amaranth
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 C honey
- 1/2 C coconut oil, melted
- 1 C dark chocolate, chopped
- 2–3 Tbsp milk/water
*If you want to omit the millet or the quinoa, increase the one you use to 1/2 C.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Grind about 1 1/4 C brown rice in grain mill or food processor to make flour.
3. Combine oats through baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
4. Stir in dark chocolate pieces. Pour in honey and coconut oil. Stir to coat all the dry ingredients. Add a couple tablespoons of milk or water if streaks of flour or dry ingredients remain.
5. Transfer mixture to a 8×11 pyrex dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Press with a spatula to flatten slightly.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Use a folded piece of foil to press down on entire pan of bars. Cut into bars but cool completely before trying to remove the bars from the pan. For best results, refrigerate the bars to help them harden.
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Do you have a particular grain mill that you recommend?
Thanks!
I really like my Wonder-Mill!
I will definitely try this. Thank you. I just found your channel. GREAT!
Very useful post. Thank you so much for writing this post! I like whole grains, B-vitamins are a big part of whole grains; B-vitamins include niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin. These nutrients play a key role in keeping up a healthy metabolism as well as a healthy immune system.