Granola Bars

My mother-in-law is always helping me to find new great recipes.  Again, I've made some changes from the original and adapted a few things, but another great find for sure!  

Ingredients:

2 C old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 C sliced almonds

1/2 C sunflower kernals

2 TBLS Whole Ground golden flaxseed meal (OR 1 TBLS each of flaxseed and Chia seed)

2 TBLS sesame seeds

2 C unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal (puffed red wheat/ puffed brown rice, KASHI Go Lean, etc)

2 C assorted dried fruits (apples, raisins, dates, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc)

1/2 C creamy almond butter

1/2 C honey

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 9X13 pan with olive oil.  Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a large cookie sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.  Add cereal and dried fruit; toss to combine.

In a small saucepan combine almond butter, honey, and vanilla. Over medium-low heat, stir frequently until the mixture begins to bubble lightly.   Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain. Transfer to the prepared pan. Using a silicone spatula, press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes; cut into 16 bars.  Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap.

When I make these with dried apples and raisins, I also add 1 tsp cinnamon to the mixture!  Makes a great snack.  They are pretty filling.  Makes 16.