Chewy Granola Bars

I have finally found a snack I do not feel guilty about letting my kids eat! They aren't as sweet as store bought bars, but they are certainly much healthier!! My kids and husband LOVE them!

4 cups raw oats

1 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbs peanut butter

2 cups of any other desired ingredients (I used a mixture of raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, flax meal, five-grain cereal, and chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. In large mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients and mix well. Stir in the 2 cups of desired mixed items. Pour and press mixture into pan. . Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Center will still be soft. Let cool for 10 minutes, and cut into bars. Let bars cool completely at room temperature before removing from pan. This makes about 18 1x5 inch bars.

Using this recipe, the bars tend to be chewy, and only slightly sweet. They have a very nutty flavor.

Variations:

• For sweeter bars, add 1/3 cup brown sugar instead of applesauce, OR decrease the amount of applesauce and add a corresponding amount of honey.
• Add a crisp cereal and use roasted nuts for a crunchier bar.
• In the 2 cup mixture, you could also use other dried fruits, chopped nuts, flaked or puff cereals, etc.