Easy No-Bake Granola Bars

Back to school is just around the corner, make these easy no bake granola bars for healthy after school snacks! This recipe includes peanut butter, but if you or your child has allergies, use almond butter as a good healthy substitute. If your school allows some seeds and or nuts, substitute those or use dried fruit and rice crisps for that crunch instead-let that be your guide if planning to pack the bar into lunch boxes.

3 cups Quick Oatmeal, I used steel cut oats

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup raw whole almonds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

2/3 cup nut butter(peanut or almond butter) you can process any nut into butter with your processor and a little oil and water

1/2-2/3 cup corn syrup, brown rice syrup, or other syrup I used 1/3 cup corn syrup and 1/3 cup golden syrup

In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients, add 1/4 tsp salt, mix all together. In a smaller bowl, combine the nut butter of your choice and the syrup, mix well, then pour over the oatmeal mixture, combine thoroughly, adding a little more syrup if the mixture is too dry. When satisfied that mixture is well combined, prepare a 9x9 inch pan, line it with parchment paper, pat mixture into pan with damp hands until it is spread out and uniform. At this point you may want to sprinkle with coarse sea salt for the sweet n salty taste, or leave plain to be coated with drizzle of chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips melted, when hardened, and cut, or press a piece of dried fruit (dried cherries, apricots, dates, figs, blueberries, cranberries, raisins.....)into the top of each bar or square, let your imagination run free!