Granola Bar Recipe

I keep things pretty simple around here.

When crafting I use what we have and make it work. 

With recipes I'm the same way. 

When it comes to granola bars you can spend a lot and get a small quantity of good ingredients or you can spend a little and get a lot of bad ingredients. 

I decided to make my own.

When you search for granola bars recipes you find long, expensive, non every day, ingredients. 

But with any recipe I find, I manipulate it to fit what we have in our house on a regular basis. 

I can't say any recipe it truly my own.

I'm not that creative.

This granola bar recipe originally came from 

Delish

They have a great Granola Bar recipe that uses egg whites and I just didn't want to us eggs so I started to tweak it.

This is what I came up with...

3 C. Quick Oaks (not pictured)

1/2 C. Crisp Rice Cereal

1/3 C. Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. Canola Oil

1/3 C. Honey

1/2 tsp. Vanilla 

1/4 C.  Ground Flax Seed

1/4 C.  Wheat Germ 

I like our granola bars to be long and thin, to fit in our bento boxes, so I use a 13 x 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper to bake them. 

Granola Bars made in 13x9 in pan fits our bentos.

Different size pans will give you different coking times and bar sizes.

You will have to watch your bars baking. 

Mix all ingredients (except chocolate chips).

A wooden spoon works best for mixing.

Mix the ingredients very well and let them sit for 10 minutes. 

This will allow the wet ingredients to soak into the dry. 

You may need to add honey and/or oil if your mixture seems dry after mixing.

Your mixture should clump up a little.

Once you get to this point add your chocolate chips. 

Place the granola mixture into your baking pan (lined with parchment paper).

If you're using a spray... Make sure your baking pan has been sprayed well with non-stick spray!

Press mixture firmly into your baking dish, compacting it well.

I use the back of a measuring cup to do this job, it works well in the corners.

350 degree oven is where they will head for 17 - 20 minutes. 

You will need to keep an eye on them.

Once they start to smell you're getting close. 

They are ready to come out of the oven when the tops are golden brown.

If you take them out too early they will not hold their shape. 

If they cook too long they will get dry. 

This is not rocket science, just keep your eye on them and you'll know.

Make sure they cool completely, so they can set.

I like to make them in the evening and wait until the morning to cut them. 

You can cut them in any shape that you need and fits your child's appetite or lunchbox. 

Store in an airtight container.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know how it turns out.

They also make a great snack for your child's class.

Have fun with substituting the ingredients.

Wheat germ and flax seed is optional.

You can add a spoonful of peanut butter and the recipe still works fine. 

Try instead of the chocolate chips... 

m&m'S

raisins

craisins.

Enjoy!