Granola bars, fresh out of the oven. Make sure to cool completely before cutting.
Granola bars have a health halo thanks to food industry marketing practices. I rarely find a granola bar in the supermarket that meets my standards, so I decided to make my own. This version is nut free, so it can work in a school setting. I’ll be recommending this recipe next month for Mount Kisco Child Care Center’s Feed Me Fresh garden to table program – I work there as a food and garden consultant. The children will have fun making these treats for their afternoon snack.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut ribbons
1/2 cup pepitas – shelled pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup Goji berries, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
pinch of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions: 
Prepare a 9″ by 9″ pan with some coconut oil or butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you’re using wide coconut ribbons, chop them a bit so they are similar to the size of rolled oatmeal flakes.
Lightly chop the pepitas so they are the size of the sunflower seeds.
Chop the Goji berries and cranberries so they are slightly smaller than raisin size.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and pour them over the dry ingredients and mix together.
Pour into the pan and press it down evenly.
Bake for 16-18 minutes.
Wait until they are cool before cutting into bars or square.
Enjoy!
