Gloriously Great Granola Bars

My BFF Jackie sent me *THE* most amazing granola bar recipe EVER! I've seen so many that, while being "healthier" than cookies or candy bars, are still loaded with tons of fat & oil. (That's fine if you're running marathons, but if you aren't and are just looking for a healthier snack, you don't need all that fat!) Finally, the best recipe ever - full of healthy ingredients and NO oil or butter! I'll post her version first (which she always tweaks, too) and then I'll share exactly what I did:

Ingredients:
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
choc chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, choc chips, nuts, etc. In a smaller bowl, thoroughly blend applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla; pour into the flour mixture, and mix until the liquid is evenly distributed. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan.
3. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Cool completely in pan before turning out onto a cutting board and cutting into bars. [I bake them for 15 min and check them every 5 after that. (Try not to over cook them - mine usually only take 17 min or they get too hard.)]

I have done them before with 3/4 cup raisins and 1/2 cup pecans. I have made them with dried cranberries and pecans. You really can't mess them up. I used 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup choc chips before.

I let them cool and then cut & wrap them individually, and the kids can take them to school or whatever. Protein powder bakes up easily with this, too. You might just have to play with the amounts.

Susie's version from today:

Ingredients:
2 cups 100% whole grain old fashioned oats
1 cup unbleached King Arthur white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold milled golden flax seed
1 scoop vanilla Muscle Milk 100% whey protein powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
1/4 cup blue agave syrup
1/4 cup local raw honey
1 egg
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1 cup choc chips

I baked them for exactly 17 (15+2) minutes, and they were PERFECT! I cut them with a pizza cutter into squares...and I cannot stay out of them!!! I can't imagine why I would ever bother making any other kind of cookie-esque treat when *I* plan on eating a large portion. ;-) I think the breakfast cookie recipe just got usurped as reigning queen!