(Super Healthy) Chewy Granola Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or stoneground spelt flour)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup oil (neutral flavor like sunflower)
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses (optional)
1 cup sugar-free applesauce, thick

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F.
Toast oats for 5 minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (including oats) and whisk together until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and blend gently until well moistened. Add any of the suggested additions now (see Step 8). Mixture should be moist but not too wet. If it seems too dry and crumbly, add a little more applesauce (by the spoonful).
Line a 9in x 13in pan with parchment paper and press mixture into pan.
Bake at 350\u00b0F for 30 minutes. Cut into bars while warm, but let cool completely before removing from pan.
Suggested additions (add up to 2 cups of any of the following): chocolate chips, raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained), unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower seeds (unsalted), pumpkin seeds (unsalted), dried fruit (like chopped apricots, cranberries), chopped toasted nuts.