Granola Bars

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups oats (i used quick oats)
• 1/2 cup flax seed, whole
• 2 cups fiber one cereal, crushed
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds, ground slightly
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup apple butter (or any other fruit butter)
• 1 mashed banana
• 1 egg, whisked
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2-1 cup raisins
• 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Recipe

• 1 grease/butter/non-stick spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
• 2 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 3 spread the oats, flax seeds and walnuts onto a half-sheet pan. place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 4 in the meantime, combine the honey, peanut butter, banana, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. cook until warm and combined.
• 5 let cool slightly, then mix in apple butter and egg.
• 6 mix wheat flour, fiber-one, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
• 7 once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees f.
• 8 add the toasted oat mixture to the large bowl with the other dry ingredients.
• 9 pour liquid mix into dry mix and thoroughly combine.
• 10 stir in the raisins and chocolate chips.
• 11 turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish (be sure to press very firmly. i used a bacon press) and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
• 12 remove from the oven (i gave it another short pressing here) and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• 13 cut into bars (leave in baking dish) and allow to finish cooling.
• 14 use a sheet pan to flip bars out and wrap in plastic wrap.
• 15 store in fridge.