My daughter loves granola bars from the health food store, but some of them contain so much sugar.  So, I decided to make a granola bar that wasn’t full of sugar.  So, I looked in my fridge and pantry to see what kind of granola bar I could make.  I used mostly dates and other fruits to sweeten the granola bars (note: I did use one tablespoon of molasses for added sweetness and iron).   I also used mixed grains which is even better than just one type of grain.  And, for added goodness, I added chia and flax seeds for the omega 3s and extra protein.

These are pretty similar to Cliff bars.  They are soft and a bit chewy.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of quick cooking grains hot cereal (NOTE: I used “Choice Organic Hot Cereal Multi Grain” with quick cooking barley, rye, oats, and wheat)
• 1/2 cup of almond butter
• 1/2 cup of shredded coconuts
• 1/4 cup of goji berries
• 1/4 cup of apple sauce
• 1/2 of a large pear
• 6 pitted medjool dates
• 2 tablespoon of almond extract (all natural)
• 1 tablespoon of molasses
• 1.5 teaspoon of cinnamon
• a pinch of sea salt

Keep in mind, these granola bars are NOT as sweet as the average granola bar.  If you want to make it a bit sweeter, try adding 1/4 cup of semi sweet vegan chocolate chips (mix it in after you have put everything else through the food processor so you have chocolate chip chunks) or add 1/4 cup of agave.

But, this was perfect for my family because we are not huge fans of super sweet desserts/snacks.  Note: children have more sensitive taste buds than adults, so this probably tasted pretty sweet to my daughter because she loved it!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place dates, applesauce, pear, almond extract, molasses, almond butter, and salt in the food processor.  Blend it all together until there are no large lumps.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor: quick cooking grains, flax seeds, chia seeds, and shredded coconut.
4. After mixing, place in a greased baking pan.  Flatten it and try to make it about 3/4 of an inch thick.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Let cool for a couple of hours.
7. Slice and serve.   (I will be putting some of these in the freezer to save for next week.)