I found a recipe for homemade granola bars on A Hint of Honey (check out Chewy Granola Bars in her recipe index for the original recipe). I LOVE this blog! She sometimes uses a little more fancy ingredients that I don't tend to buy, but its great for inspiration. This recipe is so yummy and super versatile, so you can make it different every time if you want different flavors.
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I like a little spice, but you can definitely leave this out)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 banana, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce (instead of oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Make a well in center and pour in remaining ingredients. Mix together with hands or spatula (it's a little sticky, so maybe oil the spatula). Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake 18-25 minutes, until tops are golden. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes in pan, then cut into bars while still warm. Store in an airtight container or freeze.
They have never lasted long enough for me to freeze any, so I can't tell you that they thaw well or not. You can add so many different things to this recipe...pumpkin, coconut, almonds, raisins, flax seed, craisins...anything you have in the cupboard. I used whole wheat flour, which requires a little extra liquid (so I added the 1/2 mashed banana). If you use regular flour, you could go without the banana.
Ok, now it's your turn! Do you have any great healthy snack recipes?? I'd love to try them out!!
i like to keep fat free yogurt, almonds, eggs and carrots in the house or fat free cottage cheese and pineapple or tomato (have it with one or the other it's yummy!) or fat free chocolate pudding....all of those things if i don't have any of the other crap in the house...i have to pick one of those and end up feeling great after doing so. yummy!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! these look soooo good, I'm gonna make them for sure. And the hint of honey blog is super cute! Thanks for the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteI just put these in the oven! Very excited. :) One of my favorite recipes has very similar ingredients, fun to try this in a bar form! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-breakfast-cookies/ I do all whole wheat flour. I do a very small portion of the called for sugar...and add mashed bananas and unsweetened apple sauce to balance that out. I also have done less butter since the bananas are in there. They look a bit different that way, but healthier. I also add lots of chocolate chips, sort of undoes the other things...but life is not the same without chocolate. :) Thank you for the recipe!
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