No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Lauren's Latest

If you're an avid Pinterest-er like me, you've noticed that if you try to pin a pin you've already pinned before, you get a little message that says, "Pssst! It looks like you have already pinned this." So glad they added that because I am a grievous multi-pinner. Like the pin for these No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars? I pinned it 4 or 5 times.

So I figured I ought to try it. I did, and I love it!

Here is the original recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. honey
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. quick cooking oats (not rolled oats)
1 c. crispy rice cereal
1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine oats and rice cereal.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, honey, and brown sugar to a bubbly boil.
3. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
5. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and mix together.
6. Spread on a lightly greased 12x8x1 pan. (If your pan isn't small enough, pack mixture to one side.)
7. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press down lightly. (See #8 in the notes below pressing.)
8. Cool to room temperature for about two hours and cut into bars.

MY ALTERNATE INGREDIENTS, DIRECTIONS, AND NOTES:
1. The original author noted that you should not use rolled oats (in the original, she even punctuates this instruction with a !). I'm a rebel. I don't do quick oats or whatever you call them, so I used rolled oats. And guess what? They turned out just fine.

2. This recipe needs a whole lot more to healthify them. Add whatever you have: coconut, chia seeds, millet, nuts.

3. I hesitated about putting rice cereal in them because the Kelloggs brand is what comes to mind when we think Snap! Crackle! Pop!, and Kelloggs is notorious for their GMO-laden boxes of cereal. So I bought a brown rice brand called Erewhon. Really, you have to add the crispy cereal; it really adds a lot to the texture of the granola bar.

4. I have doubled the recipe each time I have made this because, A) I have 4 kids and B) I wanted to use an entire large jelly roll pan instead of smooshing it over to the side.

5. I found the recipe to be a tad too sweet, so I reduced the (organic) brown sugar to 1/2 c. for a double which is, obviously, 1/4 for a single.

6. I mentioned I'm a rebel. This is especially so when it comes to chocolate. I don't just want chocolate sprinkled OVER the bars. I want chocolate IN the bars. So I added a 1/2 cup (1/4 c. single) mini chips to the oats and cereal. Naturally, they melt when you pour the hot liquid over it...which is perfect!

7. And what is this about 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top? On top of one BAR?? Or what? I sprinkle the chips very liberally by the handful.

8. A note about pressing the mixture onto your pan: Spread it all out and take a piece of waxed paper. Press down hard all around, making sure to get all of the edges. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips on and press once again, though maybe not so vigorously the second time. You want to embed the chips into the bars, but you don't want to ruin the integrity of the chips. :-)

9. You can store these in the fridge too - they're just as good.

Everyday Granola

(Submitted by Kathleen. Source: www.perrysplate.com)

3 c. old-fashioned oats (I used rolled oats)
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts (like sliced almonds)
1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
3 T. (packed) brown sugar (optional)
2 T. milled flaxseed
(I also added a small "handful" of millet)
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. honey, real maple syrup, or agave nectar
3 T. coconut oil (or veggie if you don't have coconut)
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. dried fruit

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Mix first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Stir preferred sweetener and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. (Do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

3. Pour sweet mixture over oat mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Spread on lightly sprayed sheet pan.

4. Bake until golden, stirring evern 10 minutes for a total of 30-40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir and cool. Mix in fruit.

Store in airtight container.

Suggestions for add-ins or replacements:
citrus zests
other extracts and spices
crystallized giner (add halfway through baking)
mini chocolate chips (add after mixture has baked and cooled)

Baked Oatmeal (with Yogurt)

(Contributed by Esther)

Mix together: 1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup yogurt
2 cups oats
Bake 30 minutes at 350 in a 9 inch ungreased round pan, or 15-20 minutes in muffin tins. Pour warm milk and sprinkle cinnamon on it to serve. OPTION: Add some cinnamon to the cake when mixing.

Taken from a cookbook called "Wild Boar on the Kitchen Floor".

Baked Oatmeal

(Contributed by Debbi)

1/2 c. oil
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
Beat together and then mix in:
3 c. oatmeal
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. milk
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
raisins
(The original recipe didn't call for raisins, but I put in about 1/2 c. of them.)
Bake at 350 for 30 mins.
Serve with milk like a cereal, or better yet put fresh fruit over it.

Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies

(Shared by Heidi via 100 Days of Real Food)

Pecan Maple Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup applesauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, softened but not melted
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet.
Whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl using an electric mixer beat the applesauce, maple syrup, butter, egg, and vanilla.
While beating the mixture on a low speed add the dry ingredients until well blended.
Fold in the nuts with a spatula.
Drop onto prepared cookie sheet with a spoon. Bake for 8 – 9 minutes or until they start to brown.
Yield: 20 cookies