Make... Derval O Rourke's Chewy Granola Bars

To celebrate National Porridge Week (4th-10th October) and as we head into Winter, Flahavan’s are inviting families across Ireland to take the Porridge Pledge, making a positive change to their daily breakfast routines and incorporating healthy wholesome porridge oats into their diets to start each day right.

Flahavan’s “Porridge Pledge” campaign, launched in celebration of National Porridge Week 2020, encourages people to re-assess the way they start each day and to choose a healthy nutritious breakfast choice. 

Flahavan’s has teamed up with a host of well known faces including Karl Henry, fitness expert and TV personality, Derval O’Rourke former Olympian, Author and Coach, Children’s feeding expert Louise Lennox, Galway-based yoga teachers Yoga Mara and  TV chef, Eunice Power to share their favourite Flahavan’s porridge recipes with us to inspire consumers with their favourite oat-based recipes. 

To take the Porridge Pledge and find lots of recipe oat-spiration visit www.flahavans.ie or follow @Flahavans on Instagram and Facebook

Here we have the recipe for Derval’s chewy granola bars…

Makes 12 bars

You’ll need

·      120g Flahavan’s Jumbo Porridge Oats

·      50g desiccated coconut

·      50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

·      1 tbsp chia seeds

·      3 tbsp water

·      3 tbsp honey 

·      2 tbsp coconut oil

·      1/2 tsp vanilla extract

·      1 egg

·      2 medjool dates, chopped

·      30g dried mango, chopped

·      Salt

Method

1.          Line a 33cm x 23cm (13 inch x 9 inch) metal baking tin with parchment paper so that the paper overlaps the sides. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2.

2.         Spread the porridge oats, coconut and pecans on a baking tin and bake for 15 minutes or until toasted, turning halfway through.

3.          In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water to make a gel and set aside.

4.         Melt the honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a large pan over a low heat, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

5.         Stir the chia gel into the honey mixture, one tablespoon at a time. (Ensure that each spoonful dissolves fully before adding the next.) Add the egg and stir until smooth. Stir in the dates, mango and a pinch of salt and mix well. Tip the toasted porridge mix into the pan and stir until combined. 

6.         Increase the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Scrape the granola mix into the prepared baking tin and spread out evenly, pressing down with the back of a spoon to make the surface as even as possible

7.          Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown and feels firm to the touch.

8.         Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes. To remove from the tin, take hold of the parchment paper and simply lift out the granola slab.

9.         Cut the slab into bars and store in an airtight container.