Deliciously Homemade Granola Bars

I am always looking for new ideas for snacks and especially love anything that can fill my kids up with a minimal amount of effort. While my cereal bars are a five minute snack that can be thrown together, sometimes it is nice to have something deliciously warm from the oven with a big glass of milk. My preference is always a bar cookie over the good old drop cookies. Bars are just so much faster and still a roaring hit with my children.

My chewy granola bars are delicious, but can be difficult to pull together because they are a little drier and require a lot of man-handling to get everything coated. These are practically effortless and yield a beautiful bar that holds together beautifully.

My children are traditionalist when it comes to the granola bar so I am always looking for the flavor combination that they love- oats, chocolate chips, and honey. These bars have  that and the added boost of a little wheat germ in them. Luckily,  I always have a little wheat germ in the cupboard thanks to our weekly batch of Cinnamon Whole Wheat Waffles I make and freeze for the week. The rolled oats paired with the wheat germ mixed throughout make a satisfying-stick-to-your-ribs snack that should tie them over until dinner.

This is just the basic recipe that can be modified to your mood or your own favorite flavor combination. Decrease the honey and add a little peanut butter instead, load them up with your child’s favorite dried fruit, substitute some of the fat with applesauce, add in different spices… the possibilities with this recipe are endless!

Go ahead, balance this snack right on top of a big glass of milk and enjoy the quiet sounds in the house while everyone munches away!

Deliciously Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, mini chocolate chips,  and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using a wooden spoon. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 30  in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. I recommend using a plastic knife to cut these out to get a perfectly cut bar with minimal crumbs.

Do you have a bar cookie or granola bar recipes that your children love? Please share!