Banana Oatmeal Qunioa Bars--Sugar and Dairy Free!

I've been looking for something full of natural sugars, long-lasting carbs, and protein to eat before I head to the gym for an intense weight-lifting session. These are what I came up with:

2 C old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats to make recipe without gluten)
1 C cooked qunioa (about 1/2 C dried; sprouted if  you'd like)
1/2 pepitas
1/2 chopped walnuts
1/2 halved Almonds
1/4 C shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 T salt
2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 C natural peanut butter (you can use any nut butter you like)
8-10 large pitted dates, chopped of 3/4-1 C (feel free to vary the amount, dates are added for their chewy texture and as the main source of sweetness)
1/2 C milk, yogurt, or dairy-free substitute
1/4 tsp. vanilla

6" square baking pan
cooling rack
1 large and 1 medium mixing bowls
spatula, mixing spoon, knife

optional:
1/2 C rasins
1/2 C dark chocolate chips (Will make this recipe no longer dairy and sugar free)
1/4 C coco powder
switch out any of the nuts used above for others (pecans, cashews, etc.; just use roughly the same amount or adjust your wet ingredients to make up for it.)

Yield: 16 bars cut in 2" squares

Directions:
Mix oats through salt together in the large mixing bowl. Mix bananas through vanilla together well in the medium mixing bowl. Add together and stir until all ingredients are incorporated, adding any optional ingredients at this time.

Pour batter into a 6" square greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes (longer if you like them a little crunchy). When finished baking, the sides should be pulling away from the edges a bit. Use your spatula or knife to cut around the edges, ensuring that nothing is stuck. Flip the pan over the cooling rack and let sit for 20-30 minutes before cutting into squares and placing in an air tight container. Freeze if you plan to keep them around longer than 1 week at room temp. (They are also delicious just out of the freezer!)

Enjoy!

Maple Nut Granola

3 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of cinnamon
dash of cardamon
pinch of nutmeg
4 Tablespoons real maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon honey (this is optional, you could sub it for more maple syrup, or take it out completely)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried fruit, optional (I like rasins)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and take out a baking sheet 

Combine oats through nutmeg in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil in maple syrup and honey. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour into oat mixture then stir until well coated.

Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet then bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until granola is golden brown (granola will not be crunchy when hot.) Cool completely then stir in dried fruit and store in a container with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is a variation on one I found from another blogger: http://iowagirleats.com/2013/04/09/homemade-maple-almond-granola/