Granola Goodness

I have been working on some snacks for Ladybug's lunch since I really want her not to meltdown at every turn.  So, I needed to find some snacks that she will eat, which is harder then you would think.  I have a lovely recipe for chewy granola bars that uses an egg and mild to make them chewy.  I love these bars but the kids aren't that fond of them.  So I found a different recipe to try and this one is a bigger hit, unfortunately I like them a lot too, so I have to try to keep my hand out of the granola bar bin.

I mixed all the dry ingredients.  I have also tried mixing the brown sugar in the wet in my second batch and that works as well.

The wet ingredients. This particular batch contains 1/4c honey, 1/4c agave syrup, 1/2c oil, and 1tsp vanilla.  I am a really big fan of mixing all my wet ingredients in the measuring cup.

The wet meets the dry and then there is a lot of mixing to cover all the dry with the wet.

It doesn't look like much but this is the beginning of goodness.

I like press down all my mixes so that there is even cooking.  To accomplish this I used a bit of plastic wrap and squished it into place.

This is a the baked first batch.  It was in the oven for 40 minutes and it was tasty but not chewy enough.

This is my second batch which was put in the oven for 30 minutes.  This one used large chocolate chips and still lovely really chewy so it was a little crumbly.  I think I might keep the large chips but used fewer of them and I might put it in for 35 minutes.

Here is the lovely baked second batch.  Doesn't it look lovely.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (makes about 24 bars)
from: Weelicious.com

4 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Chocolate Chips ( I found 1c too much, 3/4c is better. Substitute with raisins or other fruit)
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Honey

-Preheat oven to 325 F.
-Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
-Whisk together all the wet ingredients.
-Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
-Place granola mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a rectangle, about 13 x 9 x 1 inch thick.
-Bake for 20 minutes for chewy bars and 25-35 minutes for crunchier bars.
-Allow to cool for 10 minutes then cut into 3 x 1 inch bars.*

* Individually wrapped, the bars will remain fresh for several weeks.