Granola Bars

Granola Bars

These chewy granola bars are easy and delicious.  They make great snacks for kids or grownups alike.  My husband takes them to work.  He likes them made like a protein bar--thus the protein powder in the recipe.  When I make them for my kids, I use the almond flour.  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a 9X13" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.  You want the paper to be too big for the pan.  Just pinch/fold it in the corners so it can fit the pan.  

1 3/4 cups gluten free oats

1 cup gluten free protein powder or almond flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup raw, chopped, pecans

2/3 cup raw, chopped almonds

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup chocolate chips (you can use mini or regular sized)

1/2 cup butter

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons unsulphured molasses

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla 

In a large bowl, combine oats, protein or almond flour, salt, cinnamon, pecans, almonds, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips by stirring them until they are distributed evenly.  

In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter.  Add honey, maple syrup, molasses, egg, and vanilla.  You can stir it to mix up the egg, but it really doesn't combine well.  

Pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture.  Stir with a large spoon until ingredients are very well combined and everything is a little damp from all the wet ingredients.  Spoon the entire mixture into your prepared baking dish.  Use the spoon to spread it evenly in the pan.  Then, use the spoon, or the bottom of a cup to press the mixture together into the pan.  Spread and press it evenly throughout the pan.  

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Let it cool.  

Melt additional chocolate and spread it over the top of the granola bars.  Ghirardelli dipping chocolate is heavenly on these.  I melt 1 cup of chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir until all smooth and spread it around the top of the bars.  

If I don't have the dipping chocolate, I use chocolate chips.  Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips together with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.  Stir until smooth and spread on top of bars.  

Cool the bars completely (this is done more quickly if you put the bars in the freezer for about 30 minutes.)

This is where the parchment papers is nice.  Just pick up the whole pan of bars by the parchment paper and place on a cutting board.  Cut bars into desired size and shapes.  Package them individually in snack or sandwich bags or plastic wrap.  We freeze them until we are ready to use them. 

Enjoy.

***FOR GRANOLA:  I just dump the combined bar ingredients onto a large jelly roll pan and bake it loose (without smashing it down).  I crumble it up and use it as granola for fruit and yogurt parfaits, snacks, etc.