Granola Bites

Mama2boys's Note:

A quick easy breakfast or snack that the kids love! Packed with protein and full of antioxidant-rich dried fruit and healthy nuts and seeds, these bites will be sure to please. I didn't follow the directions, of course, but ground up all the almonds and oats. It still came out great! I also ran out of rolled oats, so added oat bran. I think next time I'll also grind the sunflower seeds. Use any combination of dried fruits - any will be great! I also did not roll the balls in the almond/oat mixture, but just included it in the ball mix.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 36 granola ...

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds , toasted
• 1 ¾ cups quick-cooking oats
• 1⁄3; cup dried apple , finely chopped
• 1⁄3; cup dried apricot , finely chopped
• 1⁄3; cup dried raisins or 1⁄3; cup cranberries or 1⁄3; cup blueberries
• 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Place almonds and 1/4 cup oats in bowl of food processor, process to fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining oats, dried fruits, sunflower seeds, coconut and cinnamon.
3. Add peanut butter, honey and extract: combine well until mixture begins to stick together.
4. Use moist hands to form mixture into 1 inch balls, coat lightly with almond-oat mix.
5. Place in an airtight container, separating layer with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to allow oats to absorb moisture.

Reviews

[Al Al]

YUM! What a great idea... i followed the recipe almost exactly... i was too lazy to toast the almonds, but I think I will try it next time for a little extra flavor. I also used old-fashioned oats rather than quick-cooking, but they still turned out great and were easy for the kids to eat. I used apples, apricots, raisins, and cashew butter. I will definitely be making these again and probably double the recipe as they are going pretty fast. (I like it that they are refrigerated... makes them cool for a summer snack... and the oats really do absorb the moisture well) Thanks for posting... i'll be sharing this recipe with lots of people!

[Calee]

My kids love these. I used nutella and dried mangos and raisins. It made it so easy to just through everything except the nutella and honey in a food processor. Thanks I will be making these again!