'All Your Favorites' Granola Bar

 

Granola bars have always been an easy, inexpensive, and healthy snack in our house.  When we had to cut out dairy and gluten, it became more challenging to find commercially made granola bars that tasted good, were free of allergens, and didn't break the bank.   I like this recipe because it lends itself to a lot of variation, thus the name "All Your Favorites", key word YOUR!  We pick the dried fruits that we like best, the types of cereal, and then we decide if we want chocolate or not (we always do!).  Sometimes we decide nuts, and mommy almost always decides to add flax meal or chia seeds.  Use your favorite ingredients to make an affordable and delicious granola bar.  These are SUPER easy to throw together, and my kids beg for them, and I think yours will too!

LUNCHBOX TIP:  These work great individually wrapped and placed in 

2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal, or other crunchy cereal
2 cups quick-cooking gluten free oats (or if you don"t stock the quick variety like me, whir the rolled oats in your coffee grinder a bit to break them down just slightly)  I bet quinoa flakes would work too!
1/2 cup bite sized favorite dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, etc)  Today, we used raisins AND cherries!
1/2 cup chocolate chips  (optional)
1/4 cup flax meal or chia seeds (optional)
1/2 cup any nuts, bite sized (optional)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or other granulated sugar like palm, demerara, raw, sucanat, etc)
1/2 cup sticky sweetener (brown rice syrup, honey, agave, maple syrup)
1/2 cup favorite nut or seed butter (peanut, almond, sunflower seed, etc)
2 tablespoons margarine or coconut oil or other fat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the cereal, oats, dried fruit, chocolate chips, chia seeds, and nuts (if using) together in a large bowl.  On the stove top, put the sugar and nut butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  When softened, mix until smooth and add in the fat and vanilla.  Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well until it is well incorporated and moistened.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan, using a Siplat to press into a pan and keep your hands clean! Let the bars set and cut into desired shape!