Homemade Granola Bars

I love granola bars! But I haven't found very many store-bought types I like, and I think it's cheaper to make my own anyway, especially since I'm super picky about ingredients. It took me awhile to find a homemade recipe I like, though. I like them soft but not gooey, and I like them to hold together.

This one fits the bill! I found the original on allrecipes.com, but of course I had to change it up a bit as always! Below is the version with my changes:

2 cups oats (I've used both old-fashioned and quick oats and they both work fine)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup craisins

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and spray with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly blend oil, honey, egg, and vanilla; pour into the flour mixture, and mix by hand until the liquid is evenly distributed. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Cool completely in pan before turning out onto a cutting board and cutting into bars.

Note: The wheat germ, flaxseed, and chia seeds aren't necessary to the recipe; if you don't have them you can substitute equal amounts of flour. But they provide some awesome extra nutrients such as fiber, iron, protein, and vitamins!