Nut Butter Granola Bars

Don't ask me how I forgot to post this on Friday?! I had it all ready to go and than it totally slipped my mind. I guess when my routine is thrown off, everything else goes out the window. So, you are getting it Sunday evening so you don't have to wait until Tuesday.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

After taking my original granola bars on road trips and realizing that they don't stay together all that well and finding a big mess after any of the kids ate them, I decided that I needed to revamp my recipe. I needed one that held together better, but was still yummy and healthy.

These new granola bars have been with us to Disneyland (twice), Yellowstone, and countless other places. They are so much easier to eat and travel with. I think they taste even better. On our last trip to Disneyland, these are the only thing The Princess would eat - literally. It is a good thing the recipe makes a very large batch!

Nut Butter Granola Bars

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar

1/2 cup brown rice syrup (can be found at health food stores)

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup nut butter (I used this recipe)

3 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups quick oats

3 cups old fashioned oats

2 1/4 cups crispy rice cereal (we like Envirokidz Koala Crunch - regular or chocolate)

1 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds (any combo and variety - I used walnuts and pecans)

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Spray bottom of a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or cover with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together quick oats, old fashioned oats, crispy rice cereal and nuts (or seeds).

In a large sauce-pan, add butter, coconut oil, sucanat (or brown sugar), brown rice syrup, honey and nut butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Pour wet mixture over dry mixture in bowl and stir (very well) until everything is coated.

Pour into prepared pan and press mixture evenly into the pan. I find this is easiest (and best) done with fingers. You want to make sure you press it down tight and compact. This will make your granola bars have maximum stick-togetherness.

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press into the granola bars - again with your hands. DO NOT mix in chocolate chips with the dry ingredients before adding the wet stuff - you will no longer have chocolate chips in your granola bars but have chocolate granola bars instead (as you can tell from the lack of chocolate chips in my picture).

Place the whole pan of bars in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Cut into bars as big or small as you want. I like to wrap my bars in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. They hold together better when cold. We have kept ours in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and they are still tasty. I bet they would last longer, ours just never make it longer before they are gone!

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Jana