Chewy-Ewwy Granola Energy Bar - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups oats
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/8 cup sunflower seeds
1/8 cup flax seed
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 medium bananas, about 1 1/2 cups mashed
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F and prepare a cookie sheet, either use a non-stick or spray a traditional sheet with non-stick spray.
Mash bananas in peel and set aside. This lets the natural sugars develop.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. First toss oats, oat bran, whole wheat flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, and salt. Add brown sugar and be sure to integrate it evenly in the mixture, use your CLEAN hands. Next throw in the sunflower and flax seeds, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.
In a medium saucepan, over low heat, warm the peanut butter. Slowly add mashed bananas, stirring constantly and further mashing any banana meat that needs it. Add vanilla extract and leave on lowest heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You don't want the butter and bananas to burn.
Add the banana mixture to the dry mixture and stir (or knead) until the two are fully integrated. It should create a sort of nutty dough.
Form the dough into 24 bars or logs approximately the size of store-bought granola bars. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350\u00b0F for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the bars in for another 25 minutes.
Enjoy one or two and freeze the remainder in freezer bags.