Kids Granola Bar Recipe- National Granola Bar Day

National Granola Bar Day is January 20! Granola is a breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey, and sometimes rice that is usually baked until crispy. During the baking process the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose, breakfast cereal-type consistency. Dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, are sometimes added.   Besides being a great choice for breakfast and snacks, granola bars and granola are often eaten by those who are hiking, camping, or backpacking due to the fact that it is lightweight, high in calories, and easy to store; these properties make it similar to trail mix and muesli.

Here’s a recipe from one of my cookbooks;  Batter Up Kids: Sensational Snacks for a nutritious and fun snack for kids called GROOVY GRANOLA BARS. We are selling this cookbook  on our website at a discounted price of only $8.99- NORMALLY $19.95 for  30 KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES!  Take advantage of this beautifully photographed  kids cookbook  that’s filled with loads of  healthy kid-friendly treats and eats that kids can really make themselves. http://kidscookingshop.com/author-signed-sensational-snacks

GROOVY GRANOLA BARS

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup all-purpose flour (or ½ cup whole wheat flour and ½ cup all-purpose flour)   

1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup butter (not margarine) softened

3/4 cup honey

1 cup dried raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or apples

½ cup sunflower seeds, almonds, or other nuts

Let?s Start Baking! Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the dried fruit and nuts. Mix well with an electric mixer until all ingredients are incorporated.

2.. Get your muscles ready. This stuff is thick! Stir in the fruit and nuts until they are mixed into the oatmeal dough. Scoop out dough and press into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

4. Lift foil on the sides to remove the entire batch from the pan.

5. Cut into bars and cool another 10 minutes before removing cut bars from foil. Store in an air-tight container or individually wrap each one in plastic wrap so they?re ready to go when you are!