Chewy Granola Bars

I love having help in the kitchen- yes, it slows me down, yes, it makes more of a mess, but pretty soon she is going to be asking for the keys to my car and I will wanting these moments back. My little helped helped me make a dried cherry and enjoy life chocolate chip version :)

These are delicious, I'm not going to lie. One of my testers said they are the best thing I have ever made. I picked cranberries because they are tart, and there is so much sweetness I thought that was necessary. Dried cherries would also work well. I also sprinkled the top of mine with sea salt because I like a salty/sweet combination.  If you want to make these nut-free just omit the pecans and substitute more of the seeds. If these warm up too much they tend to break in half, granola anyone? So I recommend keeping them as cold as possible until you want to eat one, or cutting the bars in half- the colder they are the better they cut, I even put mine in the freezer for a little bit.

Chewy Granola Bars

(Printable Version)

- 1/3 Cup Raw Honey
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds (or more pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
- 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans (or another nut like almonds- to make it nut free just used more seeds)
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries, chopped
- 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
- 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (optional)
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
1. In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, whisk the honey and oil together. When it just reaches a boil take it off the heat and whisk in the spices and pumpkin.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, with a pinch of salt, and stir in the honey/oil/spice mixture until everything is coated and mixed well.
3. Line an 8" by 8" pan with parchment paper or grease well. Press the mixture into the pan- try to make it as even and compact as possible. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Let it cool completely and then put it into the fridge for at least 20 minutes or overnight. Cut into 8 bars, enjoy! Store with parchment paper in an air-tight container in the fridge.