Olive Oil and Maple Syrup Nut Granola Bars

This week I decided to try baked granola bars.  These granola bars are filled with whole nuts and held together with an olive oil, maple syrup, peanut butter mixture.  You can substitute any nuts you prefer and add chocolate chips or dried fruit.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1/3 cup ground old fashioned oats

1 1/3 cup old fashioned oats

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2/3 cup cashews

½ cup dark chocolate dusted almonds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons espresso powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup reduced fat peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease or spray an 8×8 baking pan with baking spray.
2. Add 1/3 cup oats to a food processor and pulse until it is a fine powder.
3. Add ground oats, oats, nuts, protein powder, espresso powder, and salt to a large bowl.  Mix to combine.
4. Whisk olive oil, peanut butter, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. 
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Use the spatula to scrape the edges of the bowl.
6. Transfer the mixture to the 8×8 pan and press down.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes until top is slightly golden.
8. Let cool on a wire rack.  
9. Cut into bars once cool.
10. Store in an air-tight container.