Recipe: Hemp Cacao & Chia Granola Bars

Created for farmer Jo by Healthy Luxe mother-daughter duo Jennifer Murrant and Hannah Singleton. 

 

Granola is an absolute essential in the Healthy Luxe kitchen. It is delicious as a snack with coconut yoghurt and berries, as a smoothie bowl topper or even used in recipes. Our most recent granola recipe creation, Hemp Cacao & Chia Granola Bars, was inspired by the newest addition to the Farmer Jo range being a probiotic Hemp and Cacao Baked Granola.

 

Being the big chocolate fans that we are, I’m sure you can imagine our response when we heard about the latest edition… Probiotic Hemp and Cacao granola. It tastes like cocoa pops only without refined sugar and no added nasties. This granola also contains probiotic, bacillus coagulans, supporting gut health and all the benefits that come with a healthy gut microbiome, such as improved immune and nervous system function.

 

We’re big into using nutrient dense ingredients and here are a few reasons we love the Probiotic Hemp and Cacao Baked Granola.

 

Oats

The base of slow-roasted wholegrain oats provides a tasty and highly nutritious start to this delicious granola.  Oats are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fibre (including beta-glucans, which have been the subject of significant research with findings consistently demonstrating a positive role in healthy glucose metabolism and cholesterol-lowering).  Nutrients include B vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus.

 

Hemp

The high protein food, hemp, (containing all amino acids) has only recently been permitted in ingestible products in Australia.  Similarly to oats, hemp also contains both soluble and insoluble fibre, as well as providing a good source of Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.

           
Cacao

We think the addition of cacao is always a good idea. As well as being delicious, cacao is an excellent source of magnesium and antioxidants. Cacao also contains substances including anandamide and phenylethylamines, which may improve concentration and are reported to have mood-lifting properties, which may be further augmented by the presence of the amino acid, Tryptophan, the precursor to mood stabilising neurotransmitter, serotonin. It really is true, chocolate makes you happy!

 

We celebrate those who are on a mission to contribute to the wellbeing of the population and encourage conscious consumption. Delicious taste aside, this is something we really love and admire about Farmer Jo.

Thanks to Farmer Jo’s new chocolatey granola, you just need 5 key ingredients to make these delicious Hemp, Cacao & Chia Granola Bars, including…

 

1. Probiotic Hemp and Cacao Granola 
2. Peanut butter
3. Coconut butter
4. Chia seeds / flax seeds
5. Honey (or coconut nectar)

And there you have it! A delicious, nutrient-dense treat that you can whip up in less than 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Farmer Jo Probiotic Hemp & Cacao Granola
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup melted coconut butter
• 1 tbsp honey (or coconut nectar) 

 Serves 8.

 Method

1. Combine granola, flax meal and chia seeds in a large mixing bowl.
2. Gently heat peanut butter, coconut butter and honey over the stove until melted and well combined.
3. Mix through the granola blend until the granola is well coated.
4. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined spring form baking tin and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until set.
5. Slice into bars and store in the fridge*.

*Best consumed within a few days of making.