In just a few short days the kids will be heading back to school, and parents everywhere will be breathing a collective sigh of relief. Summer vacation can be tough on us moms and dads! Sure, it was great not having to get up at the brink of dawn these past few months. And, I’ve especially enjoyed not having to fight those homework wars. But I have to admit that I’m really looking forward to getting back into my own groove again.
This school year is going to be a bittersweet one for me. In less than a week, Mini SGCC will be beginning her senior year in high school. I can hardly believe it! It seems like only yesterday I was telling you that she was just starting high school. There have a lot of changes and challenges in our family these past three years, not the least of which has been my beautiful child’s journey to become the extraordinary young woman she was meant to be. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.
I’ve tried to be a good role model for her, sometimes with success, and sometimes with miserable failure. In spite of our many similarities, we are very different people, and my choices are not always going to be her choices. One of the hardest things for me to learn has been when to keep my mouth shut. I’m still working on that.
These days, our lives revolve around the SAT, the ACT and college applications, while trying to maintain some kind of balance. My head is spinning. So is Mr. SGCC’s. Mini SGCC seems to be taking it all in stride as she hurtles forward a mile a minute.
Although I often feel powerless on this e-ticket ride to my daughter’s future, one thing I do have some control over is the food goes into her body. It’s no surprise that teenagers have the worst eating habits, especially in times of stress. But, I’ve found that if I keep tasty, healthful and easy food choices on hand, Mini SGCC will usually indulge in them. These Whole Grain Krispie Granola Bars are one of her favorites.
Regardless of your kids’ ages, one universal challenge that comes along with a new school year is getting them to eat something reasonably healthy for breakfast in the morning and as snacks throughout the day. Granola bars are a popular choice. But, the store bought kinds are often dry and dense, bearing a striking resemblance to toasted sawdust. Most kids do love cereal bars, but many of them contain high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated palm oil, which are deal breakers for me!
My way around this dilemma is to whip up these wholesome and incredibly delicious whole grain granola bars from scratch. They’re made with rolled oats, dried fruits, nuts and crisped brown rice, glued together with honey, pure maple syrup and almond butter. Trust me. They are addictive!
The beauty of this recipe is that it takes very little time and effort to put together. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, press into a pan and bake. Any combination of fruits and nuts will work here, as will any kind of nut butter. I’ve made these bars many times using both almond butter and peanut butter. I prefer them with almond butter, but Mini SGCC likes the ones with peanut butter best. (It figures!) Use whichever works for you.
Get your kids – and yourself – off to a good start this school year with Whole Grain Krispie Granola Bars. Served with low-fat yogurt for a nutritious breakfast or tucked into their backpacks for a mid-day snack, these bars score an A+!
Whole Grain Krispie Granola Bars
inspired by Food 52
Ingredients
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1 cup shelled, sunflower seeds
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1 1/2 cups raw whole almonds
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2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
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1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
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3 cups brown rice krispies cereal (you can substitute regular rice krispies)
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1 cup dried apricots, diced
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1 cup dried cranberries
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1 cup almond butter
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3/4 cup honey
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2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
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Heat the oven to 350 F. Toast the sunflower seeds and almonds on a baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chop almonds into small bits.
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Turn the oven temperature down to 325 F.
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Toss the nuts, oats, cereal, wheat germ, apricots, cranberries, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl and set aside.
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In a small saucepan, heat the almond or peanut butter, honey and maple syrup until smooth and hot. Do not let it begin to bubble. Pour over the granola mixture and mix well. You want to get everything incorporated and ‘glued’ together without crushing the krispies. Clean hands are the best utensils for this.
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Turn into a 9×13 baking pan lined with parchment paper and press the mixture evenly and firmly, trying not to crush the krispies too much.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes, just until the bars start to color. Remove from the oven and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm. Cut into 2-inch squares before serving. Bars will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Makes about 30 2-inch bars
Print This Post
• 39 Comments
Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast and Brunch, Fruits, Grains, Healthy Eating, Musings, Quick and Easy, Recipes
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On August 16, 2011 at 1:50pm, Julia said...
She’s beautiful, and what a good mom you are, keeping yummy AND healthy snacks around the house!
On August 17, 2011 at 10:04am, Susan said...
Thank you!
On August 16, 2011 at 2:34pm, Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. said...
omg these are fabulous! Can’t wait to make these!
On August 16, 2011 at 2:37pm, Emily said...
This is a fantastic recipe! I love to have healthy snacks at work. I will definitely try it. Thanks.
On August 16, 2011 at 2:45pm, Rosa said...
Your daughter is beautiful. That is an awesome snack, especially when smeared with PB.
Cheers,
Rosa
On August 17, 2011 at 10:04am, Susan said...
Thanks, Rosa!
On August 16, 2011 at 4:06pm, uaskigyrl said...
Oh Goodness, these look amazing AND I just came across a recipe for Maple Almond butter that I want to try which would do amazing with these!!! Thank you for sharing!
On August 17, 2011 at 10:05am, Susan said...
Sounds great! Hope you share that one.
On August 16, 2011 at 7:42pm, Eliana said...
The bars look incredible! Awesome recipe. And you gotta love all the whole grain goodness too.
On August 17, 2011 at 1:52am, Katrina said...
These sound lovely! Awesome recipe. What a nice snack.
On August 17, 2011 at 2:50am, Hannah said...
*giggles* I’m 24, and I just posted on my blog the most non-wholesome version of rice kirspie treats made with nromal rice bubbles, butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows. While they’ve helped calm me in moments of anxiety this week, I can’t help looking at your photos and recipe and thinking “Well, yes. That probably would have been better.” 😀
On August 17, 2011 at 10:07am, Susan said...
I don’t know about that. I’m twice your age and I’m hopelessly addicted to Rice Krispie treats! 😉
On August 17, 2011 at 3:16am, Anna said...
Looks great! I will give it a try.
On August 17, 2011 at 8:46am, Chris @ TheKeenanCookBook said...
This was a very sweet post, no pun intended (ok maybe a little). We have a baby boy only a few months old and already we are reflecting on how fast time has gone and big he has gotten from his first week of life.
This recipe looks great not just for the kids, but for the adults who don’t always take care of what they are eating either
On August 17, 2011 at 10:09am, Susan said...
Enjoy every second with your son, Chris. The time flies by so incredibly fast!
On August 17, 2011 at 11:07am, Rachel (S[d]OC) said...
Time does fly! She is a beautiful girl like her mother (the kitty is cute too). Your daughter is very lucky to have a mother who cooks the way you do. I’ll bet she’s healthier and happier than your average teen. You should see my nephew who is 16 and lives on steak, burgers, french fries, pizza, and plain pasta - I’m not exaggerating that either.
Definitely a more interesting take on Rice Krispie treats. Love your smiley faces too!
On August 17, 2011 at 12:59pm, Karen@Mignardise said...
I bet if you said you liked the ones with peanut butter, she would prefer the almond butter ones! Senior year is a crazy time, and as you said, definitely bittersweet. My son (middle child) leaves for his first year of college next week. Sigh.
He’s going on a wilderness orientation, hiking and camping for 4 days. I think I’ll make a batch of these granola bars for him. They look delicious!
I’m wishing you and your daughter a happy, successful and peaceful school year
On August 19, 2011 at 4:46pm, The Food Hunter said...
making these!! Your daughter is beautiful…good luck to her in school
On September 14, 2011 at 8:37am, Sherre said...
I made these and loved the taste! They would not hold together in bars so I used it for a snack mix and on cereal. Do you have a suggestion for making them stick together better?
On September 16, 2011 at 10:22am, Claire said...
I love that you paid attention & realized (like I have recently) that the granola bars contain partially hydrogenated oils. I’ve been starting to look for homemade alternatives also. However, most peanut butters also contain partially hydrogenated oils or some form of tropical (palm, coconut, etc.) oils, so be aware of that as well. Your bars look so good!!
On June 18, 2013 at 11:40am, Glenda said...
Sorry, my calorie counter went hay wire…I went back through the count and it is looking more like 184 calories / 7.8g fat. Wow! that was a big goof
I’m glad I can still eat these 
On June 18, 2013 at 11:18am, Glenda said...
OMG, these are great! Did you realize they are 400 calories each? Wow on the fat% The only thing that might make them o.k. as a repeat is that they are very filling and don’t trigger a binge like a strait sugar oatmeal cookie would.
I’m going to try to get my 6′ 130lbs son to take these for lunch
Do you have any tips on how to modify this recipe to include less stuff and still be a good consistency? It was one of the few I could try due to sensitivities. I imagine the fat & protein content would drop and the carb content would increase if I dropped nuts and added more oats…so that might not be the best answer, but I need to give that a try.
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