Wholesome Granola Bars

Today I present you with:

Personally, I cannot get enough of granola bars. They have always been a great go-to food when I need a wholesome snack to tide me over for a while. As a student I find their versatility priceless. During particularly hectic days they morph from their role as “that afternoon bite to eat” and become breakfast or lunch. For the busiest of us out there they might even serve as breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and a midnight study snack. No judgment. Seriously.

The bars I have made are chewy, subtly sweet and slightly tangy. I have tried a variety of brands of granola bars such as Nature Valley, Cliff, Luna, Kashi, and Trader Joe’s, to name a few more popular selections, and feel that the majority of them taste overly sweet. The bars in the recipe below provide a little bit of necessary sugar without it feeling as if you are eating a candy bar. However, if sweet is more your style, you can definitely add more sugar, or even mix it up by tossing in a quarter cup of maple syrup or honey.

Why make bars anyhow? You are probably busy and there are already so many options out there.

Well, maybe, like me, you have exhausted your tolerance for the excessively sweet cliff bars, or are tired of buying bars at two to three dollars a pop around campus. Perhaps you want to try your hand at replicating your favorite bar, or create some flavor combination not already on the market. Procrastinating? Break out those mixing bowls. This recipe will keep you occupied for a short time and, after you are finished, your bars will provide you with the energy to crack open that textbook. It’s a win-win.

So, let’s make our own, shall we?

The ingredients here are by no means mandatory. These bars can easily be tailored to your tastes. Get creative! Throw in some shredded coconut, chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruit or spices. Whatever hits your fancy for that day or whatever you happen to have on hand at the moment.

Wholesome Granola Bars
Adapted from Oh She Glows

Makes 8-10 Bars

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
• 3 tbsp butter, melted (or a light tasting oil like coconut oil)
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup cranberries
• Zest of one small orange
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour (or other flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt.
• ¼ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, ground flax seeds, butter, milk, and vanilla. Whisk together.

Cut the bananas into chunks and stir into the wet mixture. Grab a fork or potato masher and mash the banana into the wet mixture. It is ok if some small chunks remain. Stir in the cranberries and orange zest. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix your dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well. Fold the chocolate chips into the mixture. Scoop the granola batter into the pan. Smooth out with a spoon or hands and press it down firmly.

Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until the edges begin to golden and it is slightly firm to touch. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cooling completely. Slice into 8-10 bars.

These bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about a week and a half. You can also freeze them and pull them out as needed for each day.

– Taylor Karl