Granola Bar party!

Oatmeal Blueberry Granola Bars - NOT gluten free! obviously..  (these are for the kids)

Dry Ingredients: 

2 C rolled oats

½ C whole wheat pastry flour (or regular flour)

¼ C chopped walnuts (optional, or other nuts/seeds)

¼ C dried blueberries (or chocolate chips!)

¼ C sugar (or ½ C if you like things a bit sweeter)

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup your choice of milk (almond, rice, flax, coconut or cow)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla 

Preheat oven to 375.

In two separate bowls, mix dry ingredients, then wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry, mixing until combined. Pour batter into a greased baking dish (i use 9x13, for thicker bars, go smaller). Sprinkle raw oats on top (I used rye on top this time, and sprinkles - cause they are for the kids).

Bake 25-30 minutes. Cut into bars and cool

(adapted from this recipe)

Grown up granola bars 

1 2/3 cups rolled oats (if gluten-free, use gluten-free oats)
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (more if you like them more sweet, less if you don't .. I usually go for less and use coconut sugar)
1/3 cup Millet flour (or oat flour, oats processed in food processor)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2.5 (more or less) cups seeds, nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruits (this is the FUN PART!***)
1/3 cup nut butter (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter if not dairy free)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or more honey)
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan. (these are very sticky!) 

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the nut/seed/fruit mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the vanilla, melted coconut oil, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry and add nut butter peanut butter - mix until it seems evenly crumbly.  Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. 

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — they will be soft, but will set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic and store in the freezer - this makes a great on-the-go snack or breakfast!  (they stay a lot fresher if you just freeze them - though i suppose the refrigerator would work also, you can let them thaw at room temp or microwave them after unwrapping. 

*** I use sunflower seeds (roasted unsalted), pumpkin seeds (roasted unsalted), flax seeds, walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, dried cherries, dried cut up apricots etc. The if you just want to get a few things go for the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and either chocolate or fruit.  

(adapted from this recipe)

 need i say more?