Healthy Chewy Granola Bars

Submitted by: http://kmcrackan.myopenid.com/

Description:

PLEASE change the recipe.  I have been looking for a good CHEWY granola bar and I think this is the one...it just needs to be tweaked...it is WAY too bland (duh, it's healthy)

Servings: 20 bars

Categories: breakfast, granola

From the kitchen of:

Katy Nieto

Ingredients

2c. rolled oats

1c. whole wheat flour

1c. wheat germ

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1/2c. flax seeds (ground)

1/4c. oil

1/3c. honey

2 t. vanilla

2 t. molasses (optional)

1 1/4c. applesauce (THICK)

ADDITIONS (add up to 2 cups of the following):

chocolate chips

raisins

unsweetened shredded coconut

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

dried fruit (apricots, strawberries, cranberries, etc)

chopped, toasted nuts

Directions

Oven temp: 350

Toast oats 5 min. in dry skillet over med. heat.  Let cool.  Combine dry ingredients (incl. oats) in LARGE bowl.  Whisk wet ingredients in separate bowl.  Add any suggested additions.  Blend until well moistened (moist but not too wet).  Too dry? add more applesauce.  Press into 9x13 pan.  Bake 30 min.  Cut bars while warm but let cool completely before removing from pan.

I added unsweetened coconut and dried strawberries but did not put in molasses...that may have done the trick....or maybe sweetened applesauce and/or sweetened coconut...make changes and see what works best for your taste buds.  Anything's gotta be better than what you can buy prepackaged at the store :P