Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Happy Monday!  Is there anything “happy” about Mondays actually?  Mondays are especially unhappy for me when I am woken at 4am by a teething baby.  Of course he slept beautifully on Saturday night, but when we have to get up for work the next day?  Not a chance!  In order to combat my fatigue, I’ll be reaching for one of these healthy granola bars for a pick-me-up snack.  (Of course I will probably stay well caffeinated too…)

This recipe can be easily altered depending on your taste, and what you have on hand in the pantry.  I am in the process of cleaning out the freezer and pantry, so recipes like these are great for using up half eaten bags of dried fruits, nuts and chocolate chips.  So feel free to get creative and put your own spin on it!

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars, yields 8 bars

1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark), loosely packed
2 tablespoons butter (does not need to be softened)
1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened or sweetened
2 egg whites, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl add the butter and the brown sugar and mash together with a fork to mix (mixture will be very lumpy and crumbly). Add in the beaten egg whites, peanut butter, vanilla and apple sauce mixing well. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl add all of the remaining ingredients (flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips) and mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix very well. Dump the mixture into the lined baking pan and press down firmly.

Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool completely. Cut into bars and store for several days in an airtight container. You can also individually wrap the granola bars in wax paper or plastic wrap so they’re easy to grab on the go!  Adapted from She Knows.