granola bars

My wonderful cousin, Sydney shared a great recipe for granola bars with me. We love them! My husband hates how store bought granola bars are so dry, even if they are the supposedly chewy kind. I made these ones and he couldn't get enough. They are so easy to make and they are much cheaper than buying the boxed ones at the store. I am also happy that I can pronounce every ingredient in them as well (as opposed to the store ones)!

Granola Bars
2 c. oats
3/4 c. wheat germ*
3/4 c. sunflower seeds*
1 c. chopped nuts*
2/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. honey
4 T butter
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
8 oz dried fruit*

Toast oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and nuts in the oven
Put brown sugar, honey, vanilla, butter, and salt into a saucepan and cook gently until butter and sugar are dissolved.

Combine all ingredients and toss together in a large bowl to coat evenly. Press firmly into a parchment lined baking dish. Turn out onto a cutting board and cut when mostly cool. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or waxed paper and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

*many different combinations of ingredients will work—I’ve used puffed brown rice and puffed millet instead of wheat germ, various nuts and seeds, mini chocolate chips, coconut and dried pineapple, cranberries and pecans, etc. Whatever you can think of! You just need to have about the same ratio of dry to wet ingredients. Also note: If you use mini chocolate chips as any of the ingredients then you need to just press them into the top of the granola mixture after it is on the pan and cooled a bit.