Healthy Granola Bars Recipe

I must make a confession: I am a granola bar junkie. I LOVE granola bars of various flavors. They are a quick on-the-go, pick-me-up snack. However, most granola bars are simply glorified candy bars, laden with high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and all kinds of other not-so-good-for-me stuff that I don't want to put in my body regularly. Therefore, I am a "granola bar snob"; I am very picky about what kinds I will get. I realized that I spend quite a bit of money on granola bars (they're a staple item almost every time I go to Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's!). A few days ago I had a revelation: Why don't I just MAKE granola bars and save some money?

I searched for a recipe online but was not totally pleased with the ingredients; this recipe is loosely based off another recipe, but I played around with it quite a bit and took some liberties to make it healthier. I think they turned out really well! It yields a dozen or more granola bars depending on how you cut them.

*Please note: all amounts and cooking times, etc., are approximate; I tend to just put certain ingredients in until it "looks right", but this recipe should get you pretty close.

Ingredients:


- 2 cups oats
- 1/4 cup honey

- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup oat flour (you can use regular all-purpose flour; if so, then omit the guar gum)

- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum (if you use oat flour)
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup mashed banana

- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-natural nut butter (I used peanut butter in which the only ingredient was peanuts... no sugar, oil, etc. added)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- sprinkling of flax seeds
- cinnamon to sprinkle on top after baking


Directions:



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet.
2. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then together.
3. Press the mixture onto the cookie sheet to the thickness you desire.
4. Bake for about 20-30 minutes in oven until the edges turn golden. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and then cut them (don't wait until they cool completely because they will get harder).
5. Sprinkle cinnamon on top! I like my granola bars to be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored all together in a container or zip-close bag in the fridge so I can grab one on the go!

Mmmm... eat and enjoy this healthier granola bar! Mix it up and add/take out/modify ingredients as you wish!