Healthy Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut packed
- ½ cup wheat germ
- 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ½ cup chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup chopped pitted dates
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup agave
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper along the length of the pan letting it hang over the edges. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
- On a large sheet pan, combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut and wheat germ. Bake the mixture for 20 minutes stirring halfway through until lightly browned.
- Reduce the temperature to 325°F.
- Place the toasted oat and nut mixture into a large bowl and add the flax and chia seeds and all the dried fruit. Mix well.
- In a small saucepan, combine the oil, maple syrup, agave, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil just until the brown sugar melts.
- Pour the mixture over the oat mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. With moistened hands, press down on the granola to pack it down evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the granola bars are nice and brown. Cool.
- Chill the granola bars for at least 2-3 hours before removing them from the pan and cutting them into squares or rectangles.
Notes
Makes approximately 15 bars