Granola Bars

These granola bars have less sugar than many of the recipes I found; and no corn syrup!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 15 bars

Ingredients

• 2  cups oats (I used quick oats)
• 1⁄2 cup flax seed, whole
• 2  cups  Fiber One cereal, crushed
• 1⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1  cup roasted sunflower seeds, ground slightly
• 1  cup walnuts, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1⁄2 cup peanut butter
• 1⁄4 cup apple butter (or any other fruit butter)
• 1  mashed banana
• 1  egg, whisked
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1  tablespoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2-1  cup raisins
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Grease/butter/Non-stick spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Spread the oats, flax seeds and walnuts onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In the meantime, combine the honey, peanut butter, banana, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until warm and combined.
5. Let cool slightly, then mix in apple butter and egg.
6. Mix wheat flour, Fiber-One, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
7. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F.
8. Add the toasted oat mixture to the large bowl with the other dry ingredients.
9. Pour liquid mix into dry mix and thoroughly combine.
10. Stir in the raisins and chocolate chips.
11. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish (be sure to press very firmly. I used a bacon press) and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven (I gave it another short pressing here) and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
13. Cut into bars (leave in baking dish) and allow to finish cooling.
14. Use a sheet pan to flip bars out and wrap in plastic wrap.
15. Store in fridge.