Have you ever purchased puffed millet? I hadn’t nor did I know what it was when I found it at a natural food store. So being the chef, I purchased the millet, researched recipes and created a recipe of my own using oatmeal, millet, cranberries…and made bars that are gluten free!
Things I learned about millet:
- It’s a grain
- It’s low in fat
- It’s gluten free
- It can be eaten as a cereal or in a bar
It’s that simple! In tasting the millet, I found it had no real flavor so knew I would have to be creative in making my bars which, chocolate was added as it looked pretty and added a sweetness, you can omit the chocolate if you are trying to eat healthier.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment and spray with oil (this makes for easy removal. Add almond butter (or peanut butter), syrup and vanilla, mix until well combined
add instant oats and millet to the almond butter mixture
add chopped cranberries and chopped cashews (the nuts are optional), toss
add chia seeds and coconut milk
mix together until well combined. Place in prepared baking sheet, just like in my homemade granola bars press firmly and evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned
I melted some chocolate
slice and serve
I loved these oatmeal bars, the pop of cranberries, which added the color and texture, with the chia seeds which bring out a nutty flavor really made these bars over the top. I used coconut milk as I use it at home, regular milk can be substituted or almond milk also can be substituted. If you do not want to add the cashews, you can omit them or add in different nuts. I used almond butter as I don’t keep peanut butter in the house but if you have peanut butter you can use that. Also for the maple syrup, I used regular maple sugar, pure maple syrup or honey is another option.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I have! Enjoy!!!!
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Thank you again ~ Patty Limatola-Tanenbaum
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Almond Butter, or peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 1 1/3 cups Quick Oats
- 1 cup Puffed Millet
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries, chopped
- 1/3 cup Cashews, chopped
- 1/4 cup Coconut Milk or Whole Milk
- 4 teaspoons Chia Seeds
- 1/3 cup Chocolate, melted, optional
Directions
- Prepare your 8x8 pan by lining with parchment paper and spraying with oil.
- In a large bowl, combine almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add quick oats, millet and salt, stir until well combined.
- Combine chopped cranberries and nuts, stir. Add coconut milk and chia seeds, mix until well blended. Press into your prepared pan, press firmly and evenly.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned, remove from oven and let cool before drizzling melted chocolate (optional.
- Cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!