On-The-Go Granola Bars

These healthy, no bake granola bars are one of my favorite on-the-go snack items. They have just 5 ingredients and are extremely quick to make. You can easily tailor them with your own ingredients to make them exactly as you would like.

They have a sweet, crunchy texture and hold their shape very well. The peanut butter and honey compliment each other perfectly and there is no added sugar or prservatives as you often find in the store bought kind!

What you will need:

ü 1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted

ü 1/4 cup pure honey (or maple syrup or agave for vegan option)

ü 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter or almond butter

ü 1 cup roasted pecans, whole or loosely chopped

ü 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten free if desired)

ü Optional: handful of chocolate chips, dried fruit, vanilla, etc.

To get from A to B:

ü Finely chop dates, until small bits remain

ü Toast your oats at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes minutes (or until slightly golden brown). You can also leave them raw!

ü Place oats, almonds and dates in a bowl.

ü Warm honey and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture. Mix very well until consistent throughout.

ü Tranfer to an 8x8 dish, or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper. The parchement paper will help the bars lift out easily.

ü Press the mixer down with a fork until uniformly flattened.

ü Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge for at least an hour.

ü Remove from pan and chop into 10 even bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Or freeze them and store for up to a month.

Enjoy!