Homemade No-Bake Granola Bars

Not only are these bars delicious and nutritious, they are so easy to make even a caveman could do it. These chewy, store-bought knock-offs are a healthy snack and one I can feel good about feeding my family.

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Homemade No-Bake Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, real butter can be substituted (where to buy)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (homemade)
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (where to buy)
• 1/8 cup flax seed, milled or whole (where to buy)
• 1/4 cup good-quality mini chocolate chips (where to buy)
• 1-2 TB fresh ground peanut butter (optional)
• handful dried fruit and/or nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat your stove top to medium heat.
2. To a saucepan over medium heat, add your coconut oil and honey. Stir to melt and combine.
3. The oil and honey will start to bubble. When you see this, keep watch as it will soon take on a nice amber color, but do not let it get to dark or you will have made candy.
4. Once you get a nice rolling bubble, let it go for about 30 seconds to a minute and then turn off your heat and add your vanilla.
5. Add in the oats, flax seed, and optional peanut butter. Stir together until combined
6. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper (be sure to have some extra hanging off both sides).
7. Pour in the oat mixture. Using the back of a spatula press down about 1/2 inch until mixture is smooth.
8. Sprinkle chocolate chips, nuts, and/or dried fruit over oat mixture. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool.
9. The cutting process: Remove the pan from the fridge. Use the extra parchment hanging off sides as handles to pull your entire granola out of the pan and place on counter. It will be a solid piece. Cut width-wise into one-inch sections. Then one long cut down the center of the pan. This will allow for 12 individual servings all equal size.
10. Note: This recipe can easily be doubled for 24 using a 9x13 pan.
11. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.