Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are one of my favorite on the go snacks. Not only are they tasty but easy to transport and enjoy on the go. As we all know, granola bars can be high in calories, but one benefit of granola bars is that they are perfectly portioned to prevent over indulgence. For my next recipe creation, I made my own granola bars using a few simple ingredients found in my pantry (and I bet yours too!).

Too cut back on the calories and added sugars, I used just enough honey for a touch of sweetness and to help bind the oats. One of these granola bars contains only 165 calories, which is the perfect amount for a snack! For an even lower calorie version you can replace half of the oats with special K or another low sugar cereal  (i.e cheerios, corn flakes, bran cereal, rice crispies etc.)

servings: 10
time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (can replace 3/4 cup of oats with other low sugar cereal)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup craisins
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
• 3 Tbsp honey (can substitute with maple syrup or agave nectar)
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (can substitute with almond butter)

5. Line a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, so the granola bars are easy to remove.

7. Place baking dish in freezer for 15-20 minutes to allow bars to harden, then remove and cut into 10 peices.

9. Place bars in air tight container and enjoy within the week.