Trail Mix Granola Bars

I loved granola bars when I was a kid.  We usually would buy them from the store, but if I had known how easy they were to make I would have asked my Mom to help me whip up a batch.  These ones come together in about 15 minutes (not including chilling time), and they are worth making yourself, because they taste even better than store bought!  They are loaded with fiber from the oats and dried fruit, and protein thanks to the nut butter.  If you are not a fan of peanut butter, feel free to use almond butter instead and chopped almonds instead of the peanuts.  Or, if you have a nut allergy, you can use sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter, and sunflower seeds instead of the peanuts.  All of these variations are just as delicious and satisfying!

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 12 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup organic peanut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups organic rolled oats
• 1/2 cup organic roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup Lily's vegan dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and sea salt until smooth.
3. Stir in the oats, peanuts, cranberries and dark chocolate chips until well combined.
4. Spread the oat mixture out into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
5. Place in the freezer and allow to set until firm, about 1 hour.
6. Remove from the freezer and cut into 12 bars.

Store bars in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.