Recipes Part III: Granola Bars (Jul 18, 2007)

Today I decided to add a recipe for something sweet... granola bars. These are pretty adaptable, as you can add almost anything you want as extras. This recipe has been adapted from a website, as I've added less than half the sugar, omit the salt, and change what I add into the bars.

Granola Bars
Ingrediants
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup butter
-2 Tbsp honey
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 egg
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 1/2 cups rolled oats
-1 1/4 cups rice krispies

Add ins (add as many or few as you want)
1/2 cup choc chips
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nuts
1/2-1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup all bran

1. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add honey, vanilla, and egg. Mix well.

2. Blend in flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in remaining ingrediants.

3. Press firmly into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Or, in the microwave, nuke on medium power for 7-9 minutes, and rotate dish every 3 minutes (unless, your microwave does that for you).

4. Cool, and cut into 24 bars.

Nutritional Information per bar
This info is based on the addition of the all bran, peanut butter, coconut, and chocolate chips.
Calories - 182
Fiber - 2g
Fat - 10g
Protein - 4g
Carbs - 22.5

Note: A large amount of carbs and calories (about 40 calories per piece) is due to the chocolate chips alone. The peanut butter is a great source of protein... although also a large source of fat (but it's all the good kind), and contributes about 35 calories per peice. Butter... another38 calories per piece... due solely to fat. I'm thinking of seeing how apple butter works...

Enjoy!