Chewy Cran-Apple Granola Bars

Here is a good homemade snack that I thought was really easy to throw together. I liked that these were really good without adding sugar, corn syrup, or sweetened condensed milk. Many recipes I see for homemade granola bars have at least one of these and might as well be cookies. Anyway, I plan on using this recipe all the time as well as changing up the ingredients for fun. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of each of the dried fruit, but I wanted more fruit so next time I will probably up those to 3/4 cup each. Great, healthy snack!

Recipe and Photo courtesy Real Mom Kitchen

*Printable Version*

What You Need:
3-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup whole almonds, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1.Spray a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with cooking non-stick cooking spray. Add oats and almonds to the pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally.

2.In a large bowl, mix the egg, butter, honey and vanilla together. Then add the sunflower kernels, coconut, apples, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to coat.

3.Then stir in oat mixture and press into a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 13-18 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!