Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars

I love me some Granola Bars, it’s one of my favorite snacks but I find that I don’t buy them much anymore because I have a hard time finding the perfect combination of flavor and texture. I like mine not too sweet and chewy in texture, crunchy is hard on my teeth. While browsing my Allrecipes.com App on my iPhone for new meal ideas I found this granola bar recipe and used it as a base for my own. My search for the perfect Granola Bar is now over!

What you will need…

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 – 3/4 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries (optional)

1/2 – 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (can substitute up to half with apple sauce)

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.  Thoroughly coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, add the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cranberries, chocolate chips and wheat germ. Mix thoroughly. I left out the wheat germ this time because I forgot to pick some up, but I definitely plan to add some to my future batches as it is very good for you. Wheat germ is extremely high in Protein, Calcium, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, Folate and many other vitamins and minerals beneficial to your health.

Create a well in the center of the bowl by pushing the ingredients to the side, and pour in the vegetable oil. Using the same cup, mix the honey, egg and vanilla flavoring, beating thoroughly. The oil residue will keep the honey from sticking to the cup. Pour the mixture in the center on top of the vegetable oil. Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly and evenly. Pat the mixture into the prepared pan with your hands. You may use a spatula to flatten it out.

3. Bake for 20 minutes. If you like a crunchier bar, bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into bars while still warm. Makes about 15 bars depending on how large you cut.

To store the bars I put down a layer of wax paper in a air-tight container, place the bars on the wax paper and then lay down another sheet of wax paper and do the same to form a stack. I cover the last layer with a sheet of wax paper and close the container. Stays fresh on the counter. You can also store in the fridge or freeze them.

This is a perfect snack to throw in your lunch bag for work or to just have in your bag when on the go. If you have little ones, it’s also perfect for sending in a school lunch. This recipe is very versatile as you can pretty much put whatever mix ins you like, and you can use this mix to make cookies too. For example, swap the cranberries for marshmallows and you have S’mores Granola Bars like these…

I plan to try oatmeal raisin and cranberry almond soon. I can see myself whipping up a batch of these weekly. Enjoy!

*edited to reduce brown sugar and honey, making a healthier yet still yummy treat! 🙂