Go Seize the Day: Food

Baking

Oat Pancakes with Raspberry Peach Compote

11:22:00 AM

Baking

Easy & Delicious Healthy Banana Bread

11:05:00 AM

Baking

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

8:53:00 PM

Baking

Chewy Peanut Butter Date Granola Bars

6:34:00 PM

Here we go again! Yet another recipe containing two of my favorite ingredients of all time-- oats and peanut butter. This time I've created a chewy granola bar that contains dates for sweetness and texture, peanut butter for protein and the perfect nutty flavor, and a mixture of crispy rice cereal and oats for substance. Sounds pretty tasty if you ask me. These bars are simple, yet delicious. Less is more sometimes, right? Oh and I almost forgot, chunks of 70 percent dark chocolate are scattered throughout the bars! Are you convinced? If so, give it a go! And if not, take a look at how easy this recipe is and you might just change your mind.

Wrap these bars up and take them to work or school or grab a bar out the door for a quick breakfast on the go. You can even eat one as a post meal dessert! Feeling creative? Form the granola mixture into balls before baking and eat them as energy bites instead of bars.

Recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup chopped dried dates
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup Kellogg's Special K cereal, chopped (or rice crispy's)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup 70% dark chocolate bar, chopped (or dark chocolate of choice!)
1/4 cup peanut butter powder (mixed with water to create peanut butter consistency)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1/3 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine dates, oats, cereal, and ground flax. In a small bowl, combine prepared peanut butter powder, creamy peanut butter, vanilla, honey, egg, and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until well coated and combined. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper and leave enough draped over the sides to act as handles. Pour mixture into pan and press into an even layer covering the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Let bars cool completely before removing from pan using the parchment paper handles. Cut bars into desired shape and store in an air tight container or wrap individually and store in the fridge or freezer!