Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are one of my favorite snacks to have on hand for after class, in between rehearsals, or while running errands. They are portable, packed with filling and nutritious ingredients, and delicious. For years I would kill hours standing in the grocery store reading and comparing the labels of granola bars, looking for the ones with the least added sugar and processed ingredients. After a while this got old and I stopped buying them altogether and replaced my favorite snack with nuts and dried fruit. But as tasty as trail mix can be it just wasn't as satisfying as a granola bar, so I started making my own. After a few tries, I settled on a recipe I loved and it has once again become a go to snack for the studio. Now that we are in Russia some of my standard ingredients are a bit harder to find and I had almost resigned myself to drastically altering my recipe. However, thanks to my husband's persistent scouring of store aisles I have everything I need. 

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup raisins

2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1 tablespoon hemp flour

1 teaspoon poppy seeds or chia seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey until creamy and thoroughly mixed.

2. Then add the egg and beat it in, now the batter should be easier to stir.

3. Now add the ground flax, hemp flour, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and combine thoroughly.

4. Mix in the coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and raisins.

5. Fold in the oats, one cup at a time, mixing until they are all wet and evenly distributed.

6. Grease a baking pan, a 7x9 works well, and pour the mixture in spreading it until it is even.

7. Bake at 350 F or 180 C for 18 minutes. 

Enjoy as an after workout snack, grab-and-go breakfast, or healthy dessert! This is a very versatile recipe, so feel free to switch the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to suit your taste. I would just suggest chopping larger nuts like walnuts before adding them.