Recipe: Powerhouse Granola Bars
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/31462cf5-1b25-4a48-97d5-5a986d6cf86d
Original source: https://www.cbc.ca/life/food/powerhouse-granola-bars-1.5039567

Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (cherries, cranberries, raisins, blueberries, dates, dried figs or apricots, or any combination)
- ¼ cup hot water
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup ground flax seed
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup water, room temperature
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in ¼ cup hot water, if desired (see note above)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds
- ½ cup raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line a 9”x13” baking pan with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine dried fruit with hot water and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, flax seed, chia seed, oats and cinnamon. In a separate medium bowl, add maple syrup, espresso, olive oil and eggs and mix well. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Fold in the reconstituted fruit, coconut, nuts and seeds. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid.
4. Wet hands to prevent sticking. Press mixture into prepared baking dish, taking care to spread the mixture evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating pan in the oven halfway through baking. Let cool completely and cut into 16 even bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.