No-Bake Granola Bars

Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup almond or peanut butter

2 tsp. flax seeds 

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

pinch of sea salt

• For dried fruit bars, add 1/4 cup dried cranberries. 
• For peanut butter bars, drizzle 3 Tbsp. melted peanut butter on entire top.  
• For dark chocolate bars, drizzle 3-4 Tbsp. melted dark chocolate on entire top.  

Directions

1. Line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper or tin foil. 
2. Add nut butter (read my post on how to choose the best nut butter) and honey to large saucepan and stir together over medium-low heat. Add in the oats, flax seeds, almonds, shredded coconut, optional pinch of sea salt and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove mixture from heat (add dried fruit at this step if you're making cranberry bars, or dark chocolate chips.) 
4. Press mixture firmly into pan. If making peanut butter or dark chocolate bars, melt the topping for 60 seconds or until melted in microwave on medium power. Drizzle over the top of the bars. 
5. Cover bars and refrigerate for several hours until firm. Cut using sharp knife into 16 bars. For convenience, you can individually wrap the bars in plastic wrap. These can be kept at room temperature but I recommend you refrigerate for better, longer lasting bars. 

See how these healthy, no-bake granola bars compare to store-bought!