I love making granola bars in the beginning of the week to last throughout the busy schedules around our house. I’ve got a husband who never ceases to travel for work, giving me the task of preparing snacks for his journeys. When I was studying at Texas A&M  University, I would be gone for 6-7 hours at a time and I needed a healthy yet easy hunger fix. These granola bars are packed with vitamins and nutrients, keeping you full but not heavy. They travel well, just wrap them in a bag and, “Grab n’ Go”. 

I like this Healthy Chew original recipe because it is so easy to swap out the different types of fruit I use. I like to use cranberries but you can use blueberries, raspberries, bananas, figs, dates etc. I have also tried dried fruit vs fresh fruit in my granola bars. With dried fruit, the consistency comes out more heavy, solid and bit dry but it’s easier to travel with. Using fresh fruit, these bars come out moist and more dessert like. I like to add a layer of dark cacao chocolate on top, however, if you’re wanting these to be travel friendly I would rethink the chocolate topping (it could become quite messy after melting). 

INGREDIENTS 

makes 12 bars 

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 tsp sea salt 
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup fig jam
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup frozen cranberries 
  • OR 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup dark cacao chocolate chips
  • (I like the brand Guittard; all natural, non-GMO, peanut, soy and gluten free)

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 (F). Grease the bottom and half way up the sides of a 9×9  glass pan. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, wheat flour, ground flax seeds and sea salt together. Mix until well incorporated. 
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, sunflower oil, honey, fig jam, brown sugar and water together. Whisk the ingredients together until it has a soupy texture. 
4. Add the coarsely chopped pecans and frozen cranberries in the dry mixture. Mix until it is well coated with the flour. 
5. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Use a spatula to mix together. This takes a few minutes to get all the ingredients mixed, when you are done you should not see any flour left. 
6. Dump the granola mixture into the prepared glass pan. Using the spatula, press the mixture down, especially focusing on the sides. Make sure the surface is smooth and even, leaving no empty “nooks and crannies.”
7. Bake at 350 (F) for 25 minutes or until the edges become slightly golden brown and the center is not gooey to the touch.
8. Remove from the oven.
9. Melt the dark cacao chocolate chips over the stove or in the microwave until the mixture has a thick honey-like consistency. 
10. Using a spatula, spread the melted chocolate over the cooked granola while it is still in the glass pan. 
11. Place the glass pan in the fridge and let cool until the chocolate has set. After it has set, take it out and cut the bars to your desired size. ENJOY!

**If you used fresh fruit, be sure to store these in the refrigerator. Granola bars with dried fruit can be stored in a container on the kitchen counter.

This is an original Healthy Chew recipe, all rights reserved

All photos used in this article were taken by Stephanie Rackley for and by The Healthy Chew 

-all rights reserved

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