Kids

Better Than Cookies Granola Bars is for Snack.

Better Than Cookies Granola Bars takes 10 minutes to prepare.

Better Than Cookies Granola Bars takes 35 minutes to cook.

Better Than Cookies Granola Bars makes 9 servings.

The ingredients for Better Than Cookies Granola Bars are:

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups dried fruits and nuts (feel free to experiment!)
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter (I use Smart Balance sticks)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

Here is how you make Better Than Cookies Granola Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350??F. Line an 8?? x 8?? x 2?? pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray. Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry (and peanut butter, if you??re using it) until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they??re brown around the edges ?? don??t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They??ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they??ll set completely once completely cool.Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment ??sling?? to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. Serving Size: makes 9 generous squaresNumber of Servings: 9Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MOLLYMILILLO.

The nutritional information for Better Than Cookies Granola Bars is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 9
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 439.5

• Total Fat: 22.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 385.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 59.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.4 g
• Protein: 7.7 g