Homemade Clean Granola Bars

The thought of making my own granola bars sounded incredibly daunting before I actually tried it! I had attempted once before, but was only partly successful. After spying a recipe on Pinterest and stalking it several times over the last few weeks, I decided to give it a try and voila! Success! If I can do it, so can you!

Adapted slightly from TurtleWoman

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c Rolled Oats
1 c Chopped Almonds
3/4 c Milled Flaxseed
1/4 c Untoasted Sesame Seeds
1/2 c Honey
1/4 c Stevia in the Raw)
4 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Softened
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (avoid HFCS)
1 c Unsweetened Dried Cranberries
1/2 c Unsweetened Dried Shredded Coconut
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine oats, almonds, flax and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Once combined, spread on a large baking sheet (preferably with sides so you don't lose any of your mixture in the oven or on the floor - trust me... it happened!) and pop in the oven for approximately 20 minutes to toast. Stir about every 5 minutes to prevent burning.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine honey, stevia, coconut oil and vanilla. Microwave on high for 1 minute, remove and stir. Place bowl back in microwave for approximately 30 more seconds to help the assimilation of the stevia into the mixture. (Mixture will boil in microwave.)

3. In a large bowl, combine dried cranberries, shredded coconut, cinnamon and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.

4. Once the oat mixture is done toasting, combine with the cranberry coconut mixture.

5. Add honey mixture the dry ingredients and combine until all ingredients are wet. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - Just keep stirring! Wooden spoons are great for this step!

6. Using your baking sheet, now lined with wax paper, gently spread the mixture evenly. Place another piece of wax paper on top so that you can press the mixture into itself, as well as level off the top.

7. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hrs to harden.

8. Using a pizza slicer, cut into 21 bars. Enjoy!

Makes 21 servings

Mets: