Homemade Granola Bars

These granola bars are a great quick breakfast or just a sweet snack! Plus they're gluten free! I make these almost every weekend to have as a quick, healthy breakfast. Most ingredients can be found in bulk and are relatively inexpensive. ​

The recipe below is a good reference, but feel free to add what you like and have on hand.

Ingredients
2 cups oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)
1/4 cup chia seeds
3/4 cup chopped cashews*
1/4 cup chopped almonds*
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy organic)

Mix all ingredients using your mixer or by hand until everything is completely mixed. It will almost form a ball like form. When completely mixed,  press the mixture into a large  (16.5 x 11 or smaller if you would like thicker bars). Refrigerate for about an hour. Cut into small squares or rectangles and store in a covered bowl or plastic bin in the fridge.

*You can use whatever nuts you like or have on hand. I've tried this recipe with walnuts, macadamia nuts and pumpkin seed with delicious results.

** If you would rather use a fruit sweetener, I tried making a date slurry and added this instead of maple syrup. I put about 10 unpinned dates in my vitamin and added water to make a slurry. I felt like the granola was just as sweet as with the maple syrup.