My friend the GP reminded me of these a few weeks ago when she asked if I still had the recipe - I used to make these when we worked in the same office in London and breakfast at my desk was a regular occurrence (as I rarely feel like eating before 9am). I had not made them for well over 10 years and now I’ve made them again, I’m not sure why…they’re the perfect portable breakfast.
These brought back lots of happy memories of sharing them and working with my dear friend who I miss very much but am grateful to still be in touch with all these years later. These are for you, Zana!
homemade tahini muesli bars
Originally published on the ye olde blog skinnylattestrikesback.com! With a few 2023 additions.
Date mixture:
85g (1/2 cup) dried dates, diced
120ml (1/2 cup) water
120g (1/2 cup) tahini
420g (3 cups) toasted muesli (I like Carman’s or Arnold’s Farm - in the UK I quite liked Sainsbury’s Own) - with or without dried fruit, as per your preference
60g (1/4 cup) wholemeal plain flour
60g (1/4 cup) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
A drizzle or two of maple syrup (or honey if you aren’t vegan)
Lightly coat a lamington tray or a 9”x9” baking pan with cooking spray, line with baking paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 180 C.
Prepare the date mixture: Place the dates and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dates are soft. The mixture will be thick. Allow to cool. Add the tahini and set aside.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add the date mixture and a few drizzles of maple syrup (according to taste). Add a bit more tahini or water if it’s too thick or a bit more muesli if it’s too wet. It should be like Anzac biscuit mixture (or, in the UK, like flapjack mixture).
Mix to combine and press into the baking pan.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes - keep an eye on it and don’t let the top burn.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. Cut them as big or as small as you like - mine are on the bigger side because they are a desk breakfast and need to keep me going until lunchtime. And they do!
As it’s summer here, I’ve been keeping these in the fridge so they remain chewy but they’re also perfectly fine stored in an airtight container in the pantry.
Enjoy as they are or crumbled over yoghurt, for breakfast or a healthy snack.