Quinoa Chia Seed Protein Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa - any colour
  
• 1/2 cup chia seeds 
  
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
  
• 1 cup rolled oats
  
• 1/4 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cardamom
• 1/2 cup raw almonds; coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. organic honey (use 100% pure maple syrup to make vegan)
• 1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup or barley syrup 
  
• 1/2 cup almond butter or other nut butter
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
   
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa, chia seeds, flax seed, rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, cardamom and chopped raw almonds. Stir to combine.
   
3. In a small, microwave-safe dish, combine raw almond butter, organic brown rice syrup and honey. Stir to mix, then microwave for 1 minute to soften.
   
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a plastic spatula to thoroughly mix. Wet ingredients may begin to firm up, in which case you will need to use clean hands to knead the mixture together.
   
5. When finished, transfer your mixture to a parchment lined baking dish (I used an 8 x 8 glass Pyrex dish), and pat down mixture with a plastic spatula to make a single, even layer.
   
6. Bake on middle rack of oven for 15 minutes.
7. When finished, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
8. After ten minutes, remove bars from the pan by lifting up the sides of the parchment paper. Place bars on a wire rack to finish cooling.
9. Cut finished bars with a sharp, non-serrated knife or pizza cutter 4 times horizontally and 4 times vertically to create 8 bars total.
10. Wrap cooled bars in saran wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to eat.
    

Compliments : Danielle Krueger