Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Need something quick and easy to eat on-the-go? These granola bars are simple to make and can be made in advance. They are perfect to have as a quick breakfast or as a mid-day snack! One batch makes a fill 7-11" pan. 

Primary Ingredients:

2 packed cups of dates (I used 8oz bags of pitted dates)

½ cup of honey (Agave or maple would be appropriate substiutues)

½ cup of natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

2 cups of chopped almonds (I mixed chopped and whole almonds)

3 cups of old fashioned oats

Extras Ingredients:

I added a 5oz bag of cherry juice infused Craisins and a few dashes of cinnamon

Directions:

In a food processor, chop the dates until they roll up in a ball (probably about 30 seconds).

Mix together the oats, almonds and dates.

In a saucepan or pot, heat the peanut butter and honey until it is mixed.

I didn’t do this, but next time I will break up the date ball into the peanut butter/honey mix so that it will stir easier.

Then mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add in the extras that you want (in my case, Craisins and cinnamon). I used my hands to mix it thoroughly.

To get the chocolate on the bottom, I melted a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips in a bowl and then spread it into a 7x11” glass pan lined with wax paper. I pressed the mixture onto the melted chocolate.

Let the chocolate harden.

They can then be stored in an air tight container, or frozen to preserve them for even longer!