A go-to muesli bar and ball recipe that will become a repeat at home. Make them into a slice, bake them in muffin tins or skip the oven altogether and roll into no-bake balls. Filled with pantry staples and so easy to whip up, you’ll never go back to store-bought again!
Prep: 10 minutes
Muesli bar cook time: 16–18 minutes
Muesli ball chill time: 1 hour
Makes: 10 bars or 20 balls
Suitable for: 12 months old and up
Ingredients
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pepitas
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Method
- If making muesli bars, preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the dates, butter, vanilla extract and water until a thick, sticky paste forms. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and blend again until well combined and you have a chunky texture. Stir through the chocolate chips, if using.
- For no-bake muesli balls, simply roll into tablespoon-sized balls and place in the freezer to firm up.
- For the muesli bar, transfer the mixture into the loaf tin, pressing firmly and smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for 16–18 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into fingers.
Tips
- Instead of using a loaf tin for the muesli bar, press the mixture into a greased muffin tin to create muesli cookies.
- Swap butter for coconut oil.
- Omit chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate over the top instead, or replace with cacao nibs.
- The no-bake muesli balls need to stay chilled, so use an ice brick for lunchbox snacks. Baked bars hold well at room temperature. Pack either option in an airtight container.
STORAGE
- Fridge: Up to 1 week. (No-bake balls are best stored in the freezer.)
- Freezer: Up to 3 months. (Freeze in a single layer or with baking paper between layers. Defrost overnight or place into the lunchbox frozen.)
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This is an edited extract from Lunchbox Bible by Julia Tellidis and Lauren Skora, published by Hardie Grant. Photography by Rob Palmer and Ruby Holland.
