Berry Oatmeal Bars

This summer I am embarking on a road trip with my parents and my three boys, all in one car, from Florida to Mississippi. There will definitely be some crying, some whining, some temper tantrums, and I expect my boys will get a little cranky, too. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it in probably equal measure.

Road trips usually mean tons of fast food and snacks for me, so I'm trying to prevent some of that by packing snacks for the road, including these granola bars. These are adapted from this recipe that I mentioned in the breakfast post. I used all pecans for the nuts and a mix of blueberries, cherries and cranberries for the fruit, because it's what I had on hand. This is very adaptable to whatever fruits and nuts you have on hand. The original recipe calls for pecans, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, so you could mix it up and play around with the nuts and seeds you like. You can also sub any nut butter you like - I tend to like almond butter since it has a milder flavor, but if you're a peanut butter fan, that would work too. 

Berry Oatmeal Bars

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup nut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

3/4 cup chopped nuts and/or seeds

1/2 cup dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x9 pan with nonstick foil. Heat maple syrup, nut butter, unsalted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a sauce pan until combined. Remove from heat and mix in oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Combine well and press into pan with a spatula so that it is tightly packed. Allow to cool and press again. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool completely, cut into 8 bars and serve. These also freeze well - freeze in a single layer and then put into a freezer bag. Thaw for 30 seconds in the microwave.