Seedie hemp & orange muesli bars

MAKES 16 BARS GLUTEN-FREE | VEGAN Ingredients

70g (1 cup) unsweetened shredded coconut 10g (½ cup) puffed millet/brown rice

70g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds

70g (½ cup) sunflower seeds

35g (¼ cup) hemp seed hearts

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

25g (¼ cup) tapioca flour

90g (½ cup) raisins or your favourite

dried fruit, finely chopped if large

A good pinch of fine salt

250ml (1 cup) sunflower seed butter

or your favourite nut butter

125ml (½ cup) brown rice syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

85g dairy-free dark chocolate,

melted (optional)

Right from the start of writing

Every Day, I knew I wanted to perfect a great muesli bar, one made from nourishing ingredients, with not too much sugar and no nuts, so kids can take them to school. I’ve got to be honest, it took many trials, and I nearly gave up on getting the recipe right. But then I nailed it — best feeling ever, especially because this quickly became one of my favourite recipes in the book.

I’ve used homemade sunflower seed butter, but you can use storebought if you prefer (it’s just a damn sight cheaper to make your own!). That said, if nuts aren’t an issue for you, you can replace it with your favourite nut butter. Leave out the hemp seed hearts if they’re out of your price range; I add them for a boost of protein and omegas. Omit the orange zest when oranges aren’t in season or use frozen zest if you’ve planned ahead. And if you don’t like pumpkin seeds, increase the sunflower seeds to 1 cup.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease a 28 x 18cm slice tin and line it with baking paper, overlapping the sides by 2cm.

Combine the coconut, millet, seeds, flour, raisins and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well. Add the sunflower seed butter, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract and orange zest, and mix until well combined, using your hands to mix if you find it easier, as I do.

Transfer the mixture to the tin, then use the back of an oiled spoon to press it in firmly and evenly. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin.

Drizzle the chocolate over the slice and allow to set before cutting into 16 bars. It’ll store in the fridge for up to a week, in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.