spring is definitely here in LA. (and i say this with the deepest acknowledgment that so many of you are still feeling the wrath of winter-spring snowstorms, or just general yucky weather. this former, life-long new yorker gets it - i am with you!) and i can't believe it, but we're coming up on a whole year of living in southern california. i feel like i'm just beginning to feel a real vibrational shift in the seasons though. maybe it was daylight savings that tipped the scale, maybe the almost 2 weeks of on-and-off rain; but there is green grass, birds happily chirping, and weeds! i never thought i would miss weeds, but i do/did! most neighbors are trimming them down, but for a few days these lovely, untamed, wild shrubs were lining the sidewalks, and it made me the happiest :)

i decided to keep this week's recipe a, not-so-seasonal recipe. we're all experiencing so many various climates depending on where we live that i didn't want to hit you with a salad, or some sort of asparagus recipe when you have snow coming down outside. so i thought something we could all get behind is chocolate!

these delicious granola bars come from jessica merchant's newest book, the pretty dish. they're pretty low maintenance as far as granola bars go, in that they're a no-bake situation, and they're also made with mostly pantry ingredients. i would say these came together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. out of the amazing 150 recipes in jessica's book, i was drawn to this one, particularly because it uses tahini, giving them a beautiful flavor. i think so many of us think of tahini as a savory ingredient, but it pairs so incredibly well in sweeter dishes, especially with the chocolate here. the recipe also makes a generous amount, certainly enough for the entire week. these impressive little granola bars check the box on just about any list you may have, including that i swapped some ingredients to give the bars a lower glycemic index. and i also went ahead and swapped the butter for coconut oil, making them vegan. (you can see my notes at the bottom of the ingredient list.)

big spring hugs! xo

**and be sure to tag @dollyandoatmeal when you're making any recipes from the site or my book! i love regramming you all on instagram stories! xo!

chocolate-drizzled tahini granola bars

see my notes at the bottom of the ingredient list for a vegan, and low glycemic version.

recipe from: The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant

| makes about 12 |

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups brown rice cereal (i used puffed quinoa)
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, melted, for drizzling
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, for topping

*my notes to make these vegan or dairy-free, and refined sugar-free:

replace the butter with equal amounts melted coconut oil
replace the honey with coconut nectar (you could also use maple syrup, but i prefer coconut nectar because it has a lower glycemic index)
swap the light brown sugar for equal amounts coconut sugar
i replaced the melted chocolate chips with this raw chocolate sauce

Chocolate-Drizzled Tahini Granola Bars | Dolly and Oatmeal

method

line a 13" x 9" dish with parchment paper. spray the paper with cooking spray.
in a saucepan, heat the butter, tahini, honey, and sugar over low heat. whisk until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture is warm. remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
in a large bowl, stir together the oats, cereal, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and salt. pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently combine until everything is moistened. press the the mixture into the pan. drizzle with the melted chocolate. sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. refrigerate the bar for 4 hours, or until set.
remove from the fridge and lift the parchment out of the dish. slice the bars into squares or triangles.