Granola Bars with Sweet Potato Caramel and Cardamom

Preheat oven to 400°. Prick sweet potato skin with a fork several times and bake for about 40 minutes or until soft throughout. Cool, peel and mash with a fork.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°. Place nuts on a baking tray and toast for 10 minutes. Transfer onto a kitchen towel and remove the skins. Then toast seeds for 5 minutes.

Add nuts to a food processor and pulse until broken into small to medium pieces. Combine the nuts, seeds and buckwheat groats in a large mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, warm the brown rice syrup with honey, tahini and almond butter, mixing until well combined. Add in the sweet potato mash, salt and cardamom. Combine into a caramel-like, homogenous sauce. Pour it over the granola mixture and mix well.

Cover a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, extending it to the sides of the dish. Scoop the mixture into the dish, pressing it inside in a compact and even layer. Place into a freezer for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Remove from the baking dish and cut into bars. Keep refrigerated or even in the freezer—the bars will never completely freeze, they’ll remain perfectly chewy and crunchy at the same time.