These bar cookies are based on Best Express Food’s Traditional Aussie Bites. The original contains rolled oat, oat flour, butter, canola oil, sugar, honey, dried apricots, raisins, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, shredded coconut, baking soda and salt. They’ve addictive but contain too many carbs and too much sugar for my current diet. I threw the following recipe together this afternoon and am very pleased with the results. They’re nutrient dense so I cut them into small bites rather than larger bars.

I roasted raw sunflower seeds on parchment paper in a 450*F oven for 5 minutes and toasted shredded unsweetened coconut on parchment paper for 2 minutes at the same temperature. I chopped raw cashews in my food processor until finely chopped but not milled as fine as flour. I wanted some crunchiness to the bites. I used Zante currants and chia seeds rather than raisins and flax seeds but that’s my personal preference. Either can be used and I put that in the recipe.

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup almond flour
1 cup raw cashews, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened toasted shredded coconut
1 cup dried apricots, finely diced
1/2 cup raisins or Zante currants
1/4 cup flax seeds or chia seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp stevia extract

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking dish with coconut oil or butter. In a large mixing bowl combine ground nuts, almond flour, seeds, coconut, baking soda, stevia and salt and stir well. Add apricots and raisins and stir until evenly distributed. Add almond milk. Stir well. Pour out into the prepared baking dish. Using the back of a spoon or spatula press the granola mixture down until spread even in the pan and compressed. Failure to press it down will result in crumbly cookie bites. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges and top are light brown. Let cool then cut into small squares.