healthy granola bars

Granola bars may seem like the healthy option for breakfasts and snacks, but they are usually sugar-laden and can be filled with random substitutions. Homemade snacks are under your control, you can tweak to be whatever you want and you actually know what's going into them (these are around 215 calories each, 9% of healthy fat intake, with some bonus protein and fiber thrown in). Granola bars in particular can be whipped up and scarfed down within 45 minutes. Just a warning: I prefer my granola bars denser and crisper than large chunky chewy bars...so if you're a chewy person, sit this one out!

Ingredients (for 10 hunky bars):
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup steel cut oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried currants
1 egg white
1 tbs honey
2 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs peanut butter
pinch of cinnamon
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fat-free milk
*option to add 1 mushed banana or 1 tbs unsweetened coconut flakes for flavor bonus*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine oats, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and currants in a large bowl. Stir to mix.
 

2. In a small bowl whisk together the egg white, honey, chia seeds, peanut butter, a pinch of cinnamon, cocoa powder, canola oil, and milk.

 

3. Make a hole in the dry mix...
 

4. Pour wet mixture into the hole of the dry ingredients.
 

 

5. Mix with hands and fully get in there, getting every nook and cranny of your hands and fingers stuck with goop.

6. Scoop out onto greased baking sheet, place wax paper over mixture and press down to evenly smush.
 

 

7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned and crisped at the edges.
 

8. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into bars.
 

 

Store in air-tight container for up to a week!

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