Granola Bars

I have tried and tried to find GF granola bars or protein bars that are inexpensive and that taste yummy!  My sweet friend Marsha gave me this recipe and I love it!  Kasen does too and that is most important! :-)

This recipe is so easy.  You just throw all the ingredients together and squish them until everything is good and moist.  The most expensive item is the bag of oats.  I bought a 2 lb bag of GF oats for about $8.  Considering how many bars that bag makes, that's still not bad!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C quick oats - GF

1/2 C crisp rice cereal - GF

1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C plus 1 Tbl canola oil

1/4 C plus 2 Tbl honey

1 tsp vanilla

*optional - 1 scoop protein powder - GF (you will have to use more oil and honey if protein powder is used)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips really, really, really well.  I start with a large spoon but then end up using my hands too.  Be sure to take your time to make sure everything is really blended.  Taking your time also allows the wet ingredients to sort of soak into the dry components.  If your mixture seems dry after mixing then you may need to add a little more oil and/or honey a teaspoon at a time - until it starts to clump up a little.  Then add the chocolate chips.

Spread in a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 17-22 minutes until golden.  When I take it out of the oven, I go ahead and cut into bars while still warm.  (It's easier that way!)  They are supposed to sit for a couple of hours until cool.  That is the hardest part!!!!!!  I will admit, I can't wait - I have to eat one while it's hot and gooey! :-P

Granola is picky to cook so keep watching it - It will burn easily. I will have to confess to you that the first time I made these, I didn't really know what they were supposed to look like as I had never cooked oats before.  I left them in about 5 minutes too long and the edges were very dark and crispy.  It didn't matter though - they were eaten anyway!  They are also good for breakfast with a little yogurt!  Mmmmmmm.  Oh, I bet they would be good with ice cream too!

Ya know, my boys used to love those granola bars covered in chocolate.  If we were gonna be really sinful, I bet we could melt some chocolate and roll these babies in it or even just drizzle some across the top to look pretty or even just dip one side in the chocolate - Oh, the chocolate possibilities!!!! Yum!

Happy Granola!