Homemade goodies...

Inspired by my daughter's 1st grade class that can not have any sort of tree nuts.  I decided to make a granola bar for her to take that is allergy free, vegan, and of course packed with protein and child friendly (as in tastes good)...  This recipe is super simple, makes your house smell delicious and it makes a ton of bars.

7 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup maple syrup 

1/3 Dried cherries

1/2 cup Chocolate chips

3 tbs Chia seeds

2 tbs Flax seeds

1/2 scoop of protein powder

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar or date sugar)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Preheat oven 300 degrees

Line an 18 x 13 inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and spray with coconut oil spray or whatever cooking spray you have on hand.

Combine the maple syrup, and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut oil, cinnamon.

Combine the oats, salt, seeds, dried cherries in a large bowl.  Add warm sweetener mixture in the bowl and stir with a large rubber spatula until the oats are thoroughly coated with the sweet mixture.  After all is combined add chocolate chips to the granola mixture.  Transfer mixture to the prepared baking sheet and make a flat, tight, and even layer. Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.  Be paying attention these can over cook quickly, you want them to be crunchy but not a rock.  They go from good to hard very quickly.  You want them to be golden brown, but to the touch be bouncy not super hard.  They harden more when they cool so you want them to come out of the oven on a chewy note.  

Cool in the baking sheet, for 5 minutes before cutting into bars.  Cut the bars all the way through and then allow the granola bars to completely cool. They harden up significantly as they cool.  The bars can be stored in air tight containers up to 2 weeks.

This recipe makes 3 dz bars depending on how you cut them, so they are perfect to share at work or play dates.  I also like to give them in gift baskets.

Hope you enjoy these yummy guys...

Tread lightly

❤️Mel