I’m always on the lookout for a good granola bar recipe, especially ones that are wholesome and contain very little oil and sugar.  This one comes from Cookin Canuck, a wonderful website that features easy recipes incorporated with healthy living.  Check it out!

Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Cranberries and Pecans
3 1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 large, ripe bananas
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp ground flax seed (I used wheat germ instead)
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, with about 1 inch overlapping the sides.

Spread out oats and pecans on a baking sheet. Place in oven until they are lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, mash bananas with the back of a fork.  Stir in applesauce until combined.

Transfer the oats and pecans to a large bowl and stir in dried cranberries, flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Stir the banana mixture into the oat mixture until well combined and starting to clump together.  Transfer to the prepared baking pan and press down evenly.

Bake until bars are golden brown and starting to separate from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan.  Let cool to room temperature, then cut into bars.  Store in an airtight container.

These bars are hearty, tasty AND nutritious.  They are more like soft baked granola bars instead of crispy, chewy ones, so it was a nice change.  I absolutely loved them!  So did my son and husband.  My daughter…not so much, but that’s only because she won’t touch anything with dried cranberries in it.  I am sure if I had added some chocolate chips, it would have been a different story!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

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