Chewy Granola Bars

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These fantastic granola bars make use of your sad brown bananas and they're also nut and gluten free - so you can pack them anywhere!

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 min

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

• 1 egg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free oats

• 1/2 cup grated coconut

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp allspice

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F

2. Mash bananas in a small bowl along with the egg and vanilla, then set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine, oats, coconut, seeds, dried fruits, chocolate and spices. Mix together and set aside.

4. In a small saucepan combine brown sugar and oil. Heat over medium, stirring, until it begins to simmer and bubble. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the baking soda. The mixture will get frothy.

5. Add the sugar mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Then add in the banana mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix everything together thoroughly using the handle of a wooden spoon.

6. Line a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish with parchment paper. Scrape the mixture into the lined baking dish and press into an even layer using a rubber spatula.

7. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 - 25min or until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave the slab of granola in the pan for 10 more minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing into 18 pieces.

Zhuzh it up!

• These bars keep great in a sealed plastic or glass container in the freezer.

• I also like to make these with mashed sweet potato or pumpkin.

• If you're not concerned about nuts, feel free to improvise and add in your favourite nuts - pecans, walnuts and almonds are great in here, too!

This amazing recipe was written by Erin Walker