The Ball boys kind of love Granola Bars. I can’t get a box of them to last in our house for more than a couple of days. Homemade Granola bars are something I’ve thought about for a while but never tried because I thought they would take too much time. Turns out- they are super easy.  After paying $6 for a box of 8 granola bars for the past year for “healthy” granola for the boys, I was actually mad I waited so long to make these.

I started with a trip to Horrocks for some basic ingredients. Most of this stuff you can find pretty much anywhere though I’m sure. I have the recipe doubled here. If you want to make just a few, cut it in half. This should make a decent sized 9×13 batch.

Simple, natural ingredients is all you need. I find that these are super filling too. I take one to work for a mid-morning snack and it really holds me over until lunch. Enjoy and comment if you’ve made them and let me know how they turned out. As always- these are a great pre-make for camping!

IMG_2610 IMG_2611 IMG_2612IMG_2613

PREP TIME – COOK TIME – TOTAL TIME –
5 minutes – 10 minutes – 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • One or Two packages Mariani New England Crunch cranberries/almonds (I got mine at Meijer)
  • 1/2 to 1 Cup Honey
  • 1/2 to 1 Cup Natural Peanut Butter
  • 2 Cups Rolled oats
  • 1/4 Cup cold milled golden flax seed
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Toast oats in oven for 15-ish muntes or until slightly golden brown on a cookie sheet. This step is optional but I like the toasted oat flavor.
  3. Place oats, cranberry/nut mix, flax and coconut in bowl
  4. Warm honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix.
  5. Once mixed well, transfer to an 8×8 or 9×13 pan lined with wax or parchment paper so they lift out easily.
  6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let sit in fridge or freezer for 20 minutes to harden. Make sure they are completely hardened before trying to cut or they will break apart.
  7. Remove from pan and chop into even bars. Store in an airtight container for a few days, or store in freezer in a ziplock bag.
  8. ENJOY!