Collagen Tahini Granola Bars
Homemade Collagen Tahini Granola Bars are gluten-free and contain grass-fed collagen peptides. These granola bars can be prepared ahead in advance for an easy snack or breakfast on the go.
Hi everyone!! I am so excited to share this recipe with you all, finally! These Collagen Tahini Granola Bars have been on repeat in our household for about a month straight. Like, I’m not even kidding. We made them three times to get the recipe perfect. Not only are they so freaking good, but they are also packed full of satiating ingredient, keeping you full throughout the day. I love eating one of these bars for breakfast on the go or as a snack to hold me over in between meals.
So, you might be wondering what makes these bars superior to a box of granola bars you can purchase at the store? Well, store-bought granola bars are typically full of sugar and lack nutritional value. Though these Collagen Tahini Granola Bars do have maple syrup in them, and a fair amount, they are packed full of healthy fat from the tahini, protein from the collagen, and fiber. That means these will break down slowly during digestion and won’t cause a major blood sugar spike — win-win.
What is collagen
If you’re wondering what collagen is, it is a protein made up of amino acids. It is a major component of connective tissues that make up several parts of our body, including tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles. To say I am a huge fan would be an understatement, I am seriously obsessed with collagen and even did my senior capstone project on the health benefits of regular consumption. Collagen is terrific for digestion because it is an easy to absorb protein. Studies have shown that it goes directly to the cartilage intact, which helps preserve our joints. It has even been shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with daily consumption. I personally witnessed crazy fast nail growth when we were testing this recipe over the past month. If you happen to be skeptical, which is fair, try it out for yourself to see if you notice anything.
Tahini Nutrition Facts
Tahini is basically ground up sesame seeds turned into a paste/seed butter. It is a wonderful nut/seed butter alternative for people with allergies or who don’t like the flavor of nut butter. Not only does tahini add a fantastic texture, work as a binder, and create a mellow nutty flavor, it is a nutritional powerhouse. One tablespoon of tahini has 1.4 grams of fiber in it. It is also high in manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, selenium, and B-vitamins such as folic acid, niacin, pyridoxine, thiamin, and riboflavin. Not only is this seed rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), it is well balanced on the macronutrient end as well. One tablespoon of tahini contains 8 grams of healthy fat, 3.2 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.6 grams of protein.
Though these granola bars lean towards the healthier end of the whole food spectrum, they do not taste healthy in any way. The added collagen is flavorless, so it doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the bars. The texture is chewy and moist, with large chunks of dark chocolate throughout. They also have chopped dates mixed into them, which creates a rich caramel flavor and keeps them from drying out. One batch of these bars will make enough to last throughout the week. So go ahead and make these! They are great on the go; they are excellent for camping. Basically, they are perfect for this time of the year when the days are long, and we tend to be more active and on the go! Enjoy!
Collagen Tahini Granola Bars
ingredients:
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cups tahini
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup collagen powder
- 2 Tbs coconut oil
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 9 dates
- 1/4 cup Gluten-Free Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour)
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks
instructions:
How to cook Collagen Tahini Granola Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a 10x 15 cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease.
- In a large mixing bowl, add tahini, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix until a smooth mixture has formed.
- Prepare dates by chopping into small chunks. Once prepared, add dates and chocolate chunks to mixture and combine.
- Next, add in cinnamon, salt, gluten-free flour, and collagen powder. Stir until well combined.
- Add gluten-free oats and mix until everything is evenly distributed throughout.
- Once everything is combined, pour mixture onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet you prepared earlier. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly into the cookie sheet. The surface should be even and flat throughout.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
- Let cool 2 hours or overnight. Once they are cool, cut in half long ways, and cut again 8 ways to make 16 bars.
- The bars should keep up to a week in an airtight container.
Calories
350Fat (grams)
15.5Carbs (grams)
45.3Fiber (grams)
4.3Net carbs
40.41Sugar (grams)
25.8Protein (grams)
10Sodium (milligrams)
257Cholesterol (grams)
5