Fruit & Seed Granola Bars

With kids going back to school, parents are stocking up on snacks and goodies to pack in their children's lunchboxes. I remember snacking on granola bars nearly every day - and they are still one of my favorite snacks!

Granola bars are so simple to make, why do we even buy them? A box of fruit & seed granola bars typically has 6 bars per box and costs around $3...add a few more dollars if they're gluten-free! Many of these ingredients are already sitting around the house waiting to be used. The rest of the ingredients for this recipe I bought from Sprouts (I love the bulk section!), and it only cost me about $4. This recipe makes 16-21 bars, depending on how you cut them. That means you can actually SAVE money making these bars!

Simple, quick, delicious! Try them, you'll like them! (Yo Gabba Gabba reference...yup.)


Fruit & Seed Granola Bars
Adapted from YumSugar 
Makes 16-21 bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 6 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup seeds (I used pepitas and sunflower seeds)
• 1/4 cup honey or agave
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I used raisins, dried cranberries, and dried diced apricots)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with oil.
2. Spread oats on another lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil, honey, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Stir until smooth and hot.
4. Transfer oats, seeds, and fruit to a large bowl and mix together. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined.
5. While mixture is still warm, transfer it to the prepared pan. Pack down mixture into pan using a spatula. (I placed wax paper on top and pressed it down with my hands.)
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
7. Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

Granola bars prior to baking

Granola bars after baking, before cutting

Nutrition Information (based on 16 bars):
Calories: 178.4 calories,   Total carbohydrates: 29.5 g,   Fiber: 2.1 g,   Total fat: 7.3 g,   Protein: 2.1 g