Ironman Coconut Bars

Granola bars make a great, on-the-go snack and these are no exception. They have the perfect blend of sweet, salty, nutty and chewy. And, unlike other granola bars, these are grain-free. Don't be fooled by their small size, these bars pack a whopping 208 calories, 4.8 grams protein, 15 grams fat and 17 grams carbohydrate in each bar.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 cup raw honey (or regular honey)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, blueberries, raisins, cherries or combination)
1 tablespoon goji berries

Instructions

Butter a 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind flax seeds into a fine meal. Pour the flax meal into a small bowl and add sea salt and honey and mix.

Coarsely chop the dried apricots, if using, and almonds. Add them to a large bowl, along with the coconut and goji berries. Add the honey/flax mixture to the coconut mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated.

Pour entire mixture into the baking dish, press down until it's even and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the center is browned and the sides are crispy. Let the pan cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting. Be careful, if it's too warm, the bars won't stay together. If it's too cool, you'll have to chisel them out. Put cut bars on a cooling rack and cool completely, about 5 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for about a week.

Recipe for courtesy of friskylemon.com.