Banana Cranberry Granola Bars

Jan 4, 2011 by lanashabit

I typically get up around 6:30 or 7am. The alarm clock goes off and I jump out of bed. My pink yoga mat beckons me to the floor, my running shoes tempt me to pound the pavement, or my not-so-inviting desk chair swivels as I drink my morning coffee and finish up homework. Yes, at school I am definitely a morning person. At home, while on Christmas break, the snooze button lures me with its song as I fall back into peaceful sleep. This morning the snooze button won me over three times. I would tell you I’m starting to feel lazy, but I managed to find the time to get off the couch go on a 3.5 mile run and cross Angela’s Banana Cranberry Oat Bars off my ‘to-make’ list. This is nothing to scuff at my friends.

I moseyed my way downstairs, surveyed the kitchen for something to eat and noticed two very ripe bananas hiding behind their more vibrant, riper friends. I’ve been dying to make the Oh She Glows oat bars and snatched up those ripe bananas as if they were gold sitting on the counter. These bars turned out great; a slightly sweet, nutty, banana-infused granola bar. I altered the original recipe based on what I had in the kitchen.

Banana Cranberry Granola Bars
Yield: 8 large or 15 small bars

1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup grape seed oil (coconut oil or canola works too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium very ripe bananas
1/3 cup cranberries
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1.5 cups regular oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, ground flax seeds, soymilk, oil, and vanilla. Roughly cut bananas and stir into the mixture. Use a whisk or potato masher to mash the banana. It is ok if small banana chunks remain in the mixture.
3. In a larger bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine. Scoop granola into the pan, smooth and press firmly with hand or back of spoon.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cooling completely. Slice into desired bar size.

I ate 3 bars while I watched a movie and drank tea.

Tomorrow, I vow to not hit the snooze button. I need to run errands and hit the bookstore to learn more about backpacking through Europe (a 2011 goal). That just might be exciting enough to coax me from the warm bed.

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