[Recipe] Granola Bars - Homemade and Peanut-Free!

Finding good food for your kids (or husbands) to eat at school is becoming more and more expensive. Compounding the costs is the idea that many schools are 'peanut-free' due to severe allergies by staff and students. Limiting options have parents purchasing expensive lunch-treats that are not so healthy but fit the new standards. Since each day you need new treats, each day is a new bit of money thrown down the 'treat' drain.

Not anymore!

I offer to you my recipe for healthy granola bars that (if you so choose) are peanut-free and at a little healthier than other options. You customize what goes into them, and you choose what they taste like. This is a highly customizable recipe, and I LOVE IT. I make it every Sunday night for my school week; now you can too!

Recipe: Kitchen-Sink Granola Bars

1c quick oats (instant oatmeal stuff)
1/2 c corn syrup
1/2 c honey
3 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 c rice crispy cereal
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups of anything (Marshmallows, seeds (sesame, pumpkin, flax), granola (strawberry/raspberry etc), cookie crumbs, chocolate chips, melted chocolate (1/2 c)...

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together, then add in the wet ingredients, stirring until everything is coated.

Place wet mix into 9X9 pan lined with parchment paper. Wet fingers with water and press down the granola bar mix into the pan; make sure all edges are pushed in and it is nicely packed. Keep fingers as wet as possible to reduce sticking and moving.

Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Remove and cool:


Once the mix has cooled, but is still a little warm, cut it up into bars. Each mix makes 10 large bars which can be made smaller for smaller people. I find that two small bars is great for the 'balanced day' we have in our school board.


Not only is this a great recipe, but I love to personalize the bars, wrapping them in plastic wrap and putting a little note on the bar:

The last one is for myself... I always forget.

So, what do I like in MY Granola bars?
-1/2c melted chocolate
-1 c strawberry-banana granola
-1/2 c pumpkin seeds
-1/4 c sesame seeds
-1/4 c flax seeds
-1/2 c regular oats (I like em' hearty)

Give them a whirl. They are easy to make with the kids, and a staple in my house!

Happy Schoolin'