Favourite snacks for the outdoors

Banana Tramping Bars

Ever sat down for a break and looked enviously at your tramping companion's food? It seems I've been the subject of food envy, with so many people asking me for the recipe to my homemade muesli bar that I've decided to add it to my blog. It's easy to make, tastes good and keeps my energy levels up.

Banana Tramping Bars

This makes a large amount. Consider halving the recipe if you are making for the first time. See below for dairy-free and vegan options.

Preheat oven to 200 C

STEP 1  

In a large bowl mix together:

• 1 tbsp mild olive oil

• 2-3 eggs

• 4 tbsp honey, golden syrup or maple syrup

• 3 mashed bananas

STEP 2

Then add in the following and mix well:

• 3 tbsp full milk powder

• 1 cup wholemeal flour (or buckwheat flour)

• 1 cup ground almonds

• ½ cup each of sunflower and sesame seeds (or 1 cup chopped nuts)

• 2 cups dried fruit, for example, sultanas, dried apricots, cranberries, candied ginger

• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (Whittakers’ Dark Ghana highly recommended if you are making for adults, children might prefer milk chocolate)

STEP 3

Now stir in:

• 5-6 cups rolled oats, add enough oats to ensure the mixture is firm and not too wet. (The original recipe suggests using porridge oats but I have found that jumbo oats work well too.)

STEP 4

Put into muffin tins or trays. Turn oven down to 150C.

Bake until only just starting to turning brown, about  40-45 minutes if in a tray, or about 25-30 mins in muffin tins.

Then turn oven off and leave in oven for another 10-15 mins to dry out further.

Take out of the oven and put on racks to cool.

Once cool cut the slice into bars. Freezes well.

NOTES

Make it dairy free

- replace the milk powder with hemp powder and use cocoa nibs instead of chocolate

Make it vegan

- as for dairy free, use either golden syrup or maple syrup instead of honey, and replace the eggs with chia seeds and water (1 egg = 1 tbsp chia seeds soaked for 10 minutes in 3 tbsp water)

Make it gluten free

- use buckwheat flour and replace oats with other flaked grains (note I haven’t tried this option)

Acknowledgements

This recipe is based on Sue Hely’s Muesli Bars, which I found on the Canterbury Tramping Club website www.ctc.org.nz adapted by Susan Pearson. I’ve adapted it further.

AND try Three Seed Tahini Bars

Another favourite is Lucy Corry’s Three-Seed Tahini Bars. I bake these in silicon muffin tins (see above) to make round snacks. TIP: If you’re near the bottom of the tahini jar and it’s a bit dry, add some sesame oil. The tahini needs to be be nice and sticky.