Heads are down in preparation for the upcoming summer exams but despite my preaching and begging, some teen members of the family are refusing to eat a good breakfast as they just can’t face it before 8am on a weekday morning. Fair enough.

However, without a good start to the day, concentration levels will be low and tummies rumbling way before lunchtime. We have agreed on a halfway house of a portable breakfast to take away. These bars have raw ingredients that need no baking, are packed with the good stuff and much tastier and nutritious than a shop bought alternative.  They’re so easy and quick to make, you’ll have no excuse to make these every week. send them off with one or two of these, a piece of fruit and a flask of cold milk – job done.

*If you are prone to hay fever, using local honey helps build a resistance to local pollen so get to the farmers market and stock up.

Raw Breakfast Bars – makes 16 slim bars

1 generous cup of dried figs

1/4 cup honey, preferably manuka or local

1/4 cup nut butter – peanut/almond/cashew

1 cup mixed seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 1/2 cups organic rolled jumbo oats

Topping:

200g sugar free white chocolate

100g fat free natural yoghurt

Decoration e.g. cocoa nibs / chocolate covered pomegranate arils/ dried raspberries/strawberries

 

Take a small baking tray with shallow sides and line with baking paper.

This first bit is not essential but adds a little snap to the bars if you like such a thing – toast off the oats and mixed seeds in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes.

Pop the figs in a hand food processor and whizz until they make a paste.

Pull out a mixing bowl and pop the oats, seeds and figs together.

Melt the honey and nut butter gently in a small saucepan until liquid and pour into the bowl over the oats etc.. Mix until well combined. Press into the baking tray with the back of a large spoon and level out before popping into the fridge.

For the topping, gently microwave the chocolate in a glass/ceramic bowl until completely melted. Go easy as you definitely don’t want it burning.

Stir the yoghurt into the melted chocolate and spread over the seed mixture. Decorate with sprinkles to your taste. (I randomly had some chocolate covered pomegranate arils in the cupboard but it’s your choice).

Back in the fridge for half an hour until firm and then cut into 12 slices. I find it’s safer to keep them in the fridge out of sight until breakfast as otherwise they’re gone in 10 minutes.

Lovely with coffee, guilt free and super tasty.

Have a great week!

Karen x