We are heading to Fargo on Friday to visit our old stomping grounds and I’m really excited! It’s been 5 months since we moved and although I’m finally starting to feel at home here, I still really miss our first home. And I’m totally ready to eat some delicious food including pizza, burgers and doughnuts….I should make sure to pack some maternity pants so I have some extra room.
But first on the list is driving by our old house. Our first home together, the home we brought Noah home to after he was born, the home where I instilled a love of cooking in Noah. And one of Noah’s favorite things to make and eat is granola bars. I can’t believe that I haven’t shared any with you all here.
We were taking a trip to Kansas to visit Joel’s family so I wanted to bring a treat that was dairy free for my mother-in-law and something that Noah would enjoy too. These granola squares fit the bill perfectly. They tasted cookie-like but included healthier ingredients that make it a little easier to indulge your sweet tooth.
- 3/4 cup Trader Joes Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread (or nut butter of your choice)
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- sprinkles, optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick spray or line with foil for easy cleanup.
- Melt the biscoff and coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the honey/maple syrup, egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out. The original recipe states to bake for 21-24 minutes but mine took more like 30 minutes. Bake until no longer gooey and edges turn golden brown.