Make Your Own Soft Granola Bars

These days I’m all about having a variety of nutritionally-sound snacks on hand. If they’re whole food based or homemade, all the better! Fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese sticks and trail mixes are excellent options. So are homemade granola bars. So make your own granola bars! This recipe is a favorite of mine. It’s easy to make, incredibly versatile, and keeps well for the better part of a week. The base recipe originated from All Recipes.com, and is availaible here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/64649/jo-anns-power-bars/.  However, over time I’ve incorporated a number of changes, and the recipe below is my go-to.  If you’re looking for ways to change up the recipe, scroll through the reviews at All Recipes. There’s something for every taste and nutritional profile!

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup of quick oats
½ c. of vanilla whey protein powder
½ c. Post Grape Nuts cereal
1 egg
1/2 c. applesauce
1 T. chia seeds
1/4t. Boulder Salt
T. dried cranberries
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. honey
2 T brown sugar
2 T. melted refined coconut oil
1/2 c. chopped peanuts

Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper

Step 2
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, protein powder, and grape-nuts. Add the egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, chia seeds, Boulder Salt, and oil. Mix well. Stir in the raisins, dried cranberries, chopped nuts. Gently mix in the mashed banana – but don’t stir it in completely. This will give the bars refreshing ‘bites’ of banana, rather than a uniform banana flavor. Spread mixture evenly into your pan.

Step 3
Bake 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool, remove from pan and cut into small bars. Store covered in fridge.