Homemade Granola Bars

In my quest for healthier snacks, I've tried a few different homemade granola bar recipes.  These were the best of the bunch! 

They're not too sweet, yet are tasty and filling.  You could easily customize this basic recipe by adding chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut, or dried fruit (our girls like dried cranberries).  I don't recall where I found the original recipe, but it has earned a permanent page in my recipe binder!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ (I substituted flax seed)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

What's one of your family's favorite healthy snacks?