Not only are these bars better than store-bought, but you can customize them with your family's favorite nuts and fruit. Make sure you use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or quick-cook.

Prep Time: 20 minutes, cook time: 25 minutes, servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup flour 

1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2/3 cup butter, softened, or 

2/3 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup honey

1 cup raisins, dried cranberries or dried blueberries 

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or other chopped nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Let kids put oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. They can combine with a wooden spoon, or you can use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Stir in butter or oil, vanilla and honey and mix gently until just combined. Stir in dried fruit and seeds or nuts. 

2. Line a 9- by 13-inch pan with foil, allowing an extra 3 inches of foil on each end of the pan. Spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Help kids put dough into prepared pan and press evenly to edges.

4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan at least 10 minutes. Grab the extra foil on the ends of the pan and carefully lift to transfer entire batch to a cutting board.

5. Cut into 24 bars--older kids can do the math for cutting equal bars--and cool another 10 minutes before removing from foil. When completely cool, store in an airtight tin or wrap in snack-size wax paper or plastic bags so you can toss bars into lunchboxes. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.

Recipe taken from: Sensational Snacks: Healthy Eats From the Premier Children's Cooking School, by Barbara Berry. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith Publisher.

Photo: Marty Snortum from Sensational Snacks. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher

 

Ingredients
4 1/2    cups rolled oats
1    cup flour 
1/3    cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1    teaspoon baking soda
1    teaspoon cinnamon
1/4    teaspoon salt 
2/3    cup butter, softened, or 
2/3 cup canola oil
2    teaspoons vanilla
3/4    cup honey
1    cup raisins, dried cranberries or dried blueberries 
1/2    cup sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or other chopped nuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Let kids put oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. They can combine with a wooden spoon, or you can use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Stir in butter or oil, vanilla and honey and mix gently until just combined. Stir in dried fruit and seeds or nuts. 
2. Line a 9- by 13-inch pan with foil, allowing an extra 3 inches of foil on each end of the pan. Spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Help kids put dough into prepared pan and press evenly to edges.
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan at least 10 minutes. Grab the extra foil on the ends of the pan and carefully lift to transfer entire batch to a cutting board.
5. Cut into 24 bars--older kids can do the math for cutting equal bars--and cool another 10 minutes before removing from foil. When completely cool, store in an airtight tin or wrap in snack-size wax paper or plastic bags so you can toss bars into lunchboxes. Use within 2 weeks or freeze.

 

Recipe taken from: Sensational Snacks: Healthy Eats From the Premier Children's Cooking School, by Barbara Berry. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith Publisher.


Photo: Marty Snortum from Sensational Snacks. Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher