Chewy Granola Bars

• servings: 10 servings
• total time: 17 minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup pure maple syrup [honey]

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (reduce if adding marshmallow crème)

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 cups quick cooking oats (blend some!!)

1 cup rice krispies cereal

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Optional: crushed graham crackers and marshmallow cream

Directions

Lightly coat a 9X11-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. If you don't have a pan that size, use a similar sized pan, like a 8X12-inch. This recipe is a bit small for a 9X13-inch pan but if that's all you have, just pack the granola bar mixture into a smaller portion of the pan - the mixture doesn't spread so that should work fine.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats and rice krispies. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture comes together, stirring frequently. Cook at a simmer (so the mixture is lightly bubbling) for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the wet mixture over the oats/rice krispies and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down very firmly. If the mixture isn't pressed down well enough, the bars will be crumbly once they cool. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top. Press lightly if you want them to stick to the bars. Mine tended to fall off, which was just fine since there were a lot of little fingers ready to eagerly pick them up and eat them anyway.

Let the bars cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Cut into rectangles. Store well covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Notes

Add 1/4 cup peanut butter

Decrease brown sugar and add marshmallow cream and crushed graham crackers

Wait until cooled to add chocolate chips

Increase by 2 1/2 to fit on large cookie sheet

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Bar
• Calories: 180 kcal
• Total Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 13 mg
• Sodium: 60 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 29 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 16 g
• Protein: 3 g