Chewy Granola Bars

Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients

·         2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats

·         ½ cup coarsely chopped almonds and/or seeds (sunflower or pumpkin)

·         1/3 cup honey or agave syrup

·         ¼ cup fat (diced butter, ghee, oil)

·         ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

·         ½ tsp. vanilla

·         ¼ tsp. kosher salt

·         ½ cup dried fruit

·         2 TBSP nut butter (cashew, peanut, almond)

·         ¼ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 350. Place oats on a sheet pan and toast for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven and add nuts/seeds, stir and toast an additional 3 minutes. Pour toasted oats into a mixing bowl and add the dried fruit.

2.       Meanwhile, combine the fat, sugars, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

3.       Pour the sugar mixture over the oats/fruit and stir to combine. Let the mixture cool for 3 minutes.

4.       After three minutes, dot the mixture with nut butter and stir to combine. Next, add the chocolate chips and stir into mixture.

5.       Dump the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan. Using as much pressure as possible, press the granola mixture evenly in the pan.

6.       Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.