White House Granola Bars

Did you ever wonder what President Obama and his crew eat for breakfast? NO!? Well.. honestly, I haven't either. It's just not something that crosses my mind. It would probably be significantly stranger if I did wonder about that, right? However, when these granola bars popped up on my radar as the granola bar recipe that they make in the White House I scanned the ingredients and figured if it's good enough for the President it's good enough for me!

These granola bars were delicious. I have become more and more interested in making my own granola bars. Most of my old favorites are loaded with ingredients that I don't like to eat too often. Not to mention if you do buy the organic or all natural options they are over $5 a box which is nuts when I can make a huge batch using ingredients I have on hand. These were very crunchy and not at all soft. They had a nice texture though- I thoroughly enjoyed the crunch. They don't take the place of my favorite granola bars but they are a very nice alternative. Once they cooled completely and were sliced I wrapped them individually in Press and Seal wrap, then placed them in an air-tight container. It kept them perfectly for almost a week.

Source:  Adapted from Health For The Whole Self

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, olive... you choose)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used Craisins and a raisin blend)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a small baking dish with nonstick spray. (My dish was 6x4 but I know this isn't a typical size, you want something smaller than a standard square baking pan.)
2- Place seeds and oats in a large dry skillet. Heat over medium heat until slightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly.
3- In a saucepan combine the honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Heat until hot and well combined, stirring often.
4- In a mixing bowl combine the oat mixture, liquid mixture, fruit, and cinnamon. Stir well.
5- While the mixture is hot pour it into the prepared baking dish and press down with a clean spoon.
6- Bake 25-30 minutes or until brown and set. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.