Let me say this right away – I am not a chef. My palette is far from sophisticated and it isn’t uncommon for my husband to giggle while he watches me stumble in the kitchen.

There is one recipe that I have conquered though and my friends and family have agreed that I have even successfully modified – granola bars! I am frequently asked, “Please send me this recipe!” So here we are!

Before I share the goods, credit is due to the beautiful Merry Musel. I met Merry while living in South Dakota. Since I didn’t have any blood family there, Merry took me in like I was one of her own. I will always be grateful for her and our time together. One of the many ways she took care of me was by feeding me! She would frequently drop off her homemade granola bars. When I left South Dakota, Merry graciously shared her recipe.

Over the years, in an effort to reduce sugar and animal food products, I have modified Merry’s original recipe. I have tried to cut the agave and the honey down even more than what you see here, but then I have ended up with granola (which is still damn delicious). 

Feel empowered to make this recipe your own… replace the almonds with walnuts. Replace the raisins with dried cranberries. Add dried coconut… Whatever you need to make the perfect sweet treat!

Ingredients:

3 cups of old fashion oats
1 cup of sliced almonds
1 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds
1-1/2 cups of raisins
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
2/3 cup of honey
2/3 cup of peanut butter (I like brands with one ingredient – peanuts.)
½ cup of Agave Nectar
2 tsp. of vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the oatmeal, almonds, and sunflower seeds on a cookie sheet. Mix them all together. Roast for 15 minutes stirring once or twice.
  3. Transfer roasted dry mix to a large bowl. Add dark chocolate and raisins.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
  5. Place the honey, peanut butter, agave, and vanilla into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds or until the ingredients have mixed well together. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix well.
  6. Pour entire mixture into a 9x13 lightly greased pan. Press it evenly into the pan.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes.
  8. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

Comment