Granola bars are a popular choice for breakfast on the go, and they’re seen as the healthy choice when it comes to snacking. But store bought versions are often high in sugar and can wreak havoc on your energy levels.

This vegan-friendly recipe is completely natural. It contains matcha green tea powder which has some fantastic superfood qualities that can help improve, protect and strengthen your health as you grow older.

Matcha Specifics

The matcha-making process preserves all the goodness of the green tea leaf by grinding the entire leaf into fine powder.

This is why it contains 137 times the antioxidants found in regular green tea and has lots of incredible health benefits, including increased energy levels, improved concentration, and a boost in metabolism.

This granola recipe uses matcha from Evergreen Matcha. They source the highest quality matcha directly from sustainable farms in Japan.

Matcha Granola Bars Recipe

This recipe makes 14 bars.

 Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if required)
• 1 cup pepitas
• 1 ½ cups puffed rice cereal (unsweetened – quinoa, rice, millet etc.)
• ½ cup dried fruits, roughly chopped (we recommend raisins, figs, dates, prunes and goji berries)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons matcha powder (we recommend Evergreen Matcha)
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 325°F/160°C. Spread the oats and pepitas on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the oats are golden and have a nutty aroma. Stir them twice during baking to ensure even colouring.
• While baking the oats and pepitas, combine the brown rice syrup, maple syrup, tahini, coconut oil and vanilla in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine the ingredients, being careful not to overheat the mixture.
• In a large bowl, add the cooled oats and pepitas to the dried fruit, puffed rice, salt and matcha powder. Pour the wet ingredients in and mix quickly to combine.
• Pour the mixture into a lined brownie pan, pressing it firmly – especially in the corners. Refrigerate for a few hours to let it firm up, then remove and slice it into bars. These granola bars can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

These granola bars make a great gift when wrapped in parchment paper and tied with brown twine.

Evergreen Matcha are offering our Sixty & Me readers 10% off their matcha green tea powder, with discount code 1MATCHA.

Do you have a favorite recipe that uses Matcha Green Tea? What other healthy granola bars do you love? Please share in the comments below.