Energy Granola Bars (Oil-free)

Adapted from Sarah Matheny's "Peas and Thank you."


I double this recipe, making a 13X9 pan, and my kids LOVE it so much that it is gone in one day.

You can change it up! Maybe you like chocolate chips, or not.

Maybe you hate raisins and love dried apricots. Make it yours!

Gluten sensitive? This works well with GF flours such as brown rice, sorghum, and tapiocoa starch and 1 tsp. of xanthan gum.

Energy Granola Bars (Oil-free)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons whole flaxseeds (or approximately 3 tablespoons ground)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar, blonde (or any granulated sweetener)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar or honey
1/3 cup nut butter of your choice
(Peanut, almond, cashew, et cetera)

DIRECTIONS
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grind flax seeds and combine with water. Set aside.
2.) Combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips.
3.) In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup and nut butter and mix until smooth. Combine nut butter mixture with flaxseed-water mixture.
4.) Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir well. The mixture will seem dry, but keep stirring until fully integrated.
5.) Press the mixture into an 8X8-inch pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow pan to cool slightly, then cut into bars and transfer to a cooling rack.