Granola Bark - Addictive But Guilt Free

My niece Courtney requested that I look into making something that a store called Sprouts calls "Granola Bark".  For those who don't know a "bark" is a sugary confection (sometimes made with chocolate, sometimes with a light glaze) usually infused with something delicious and crunchy (e.g. I've  had a delicious minty white chocolate bark with pieces of candy cane in it).    I went to our local Sprouts store and bought a bag of their Granola Bark and it is delicious, though to my tastes just a little too sweet.  Their concept is to make a candy bark filled with nuts, seeds, fruits etc. that are good for you.  I decided to take the concept further by backing off on the candy component and increasing the stuff that's good for you.

My approach was to make a glaze-like bark by using honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, and a bit of coconut oil, and then fill it with raw seeds and nuts.  The result was a sheet of lightly sweetened, very delicious Granola Bark.  BTW, it was so good that I used it as the core of the hand-dipped chocolates I made for my wife for Valentine's Day.

It's really easy to make and, I confess, is kind of addictive so you'll need to be sure to find someone to share it with so you don't eat it all yourself!  Here's how to make this delicious Granola Bark:

Making the nut clusters (which BTW are delicious by themselves as a snack)

• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Honey
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• Dash of Ground Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   Stir all these together and microwave until everything is smooth and melted.

• 1 cup Walnut halves
• 1/2 cup Almonds (whole raw)
• 1/2 cup Cashew pieces
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin seeds (raw "pepitas")
• 1/2 cup Coconut (shredded)

Stir in the nuts and seeds (BTW, mix and match with whatever kind of nuts and seeds you have on hand, or add dried fruits like Craisins if you like--the key is to have about 3 cups of the good stuff) and stir into the liquid ingredients until everything is well covered.  Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet (I use a silicone baking mat which works beautifully) and bake for 20 minutes.  Set out on a rack and cool to room temperature.  Carefully chop or break it into nuggets.

You won't need to find your friends...when they smell this cooking they'll come find you!