Healthy Kids Recipes: Coconut-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup crispy brown-rice cereal
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup brown rice syrup
• ½ cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment hanging over two sides. Lightly coat the parchment with cooking spray.
• Combine oats, cereal, chocolate chips, coconut and salt in a large bowl.
• Combine rice syrup, tahini and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 30 seconds. (Alternatively, heat in a saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute.) Add to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Transfer to the prepared pan; firmly press the mixture into the pan with the back of a spatula.
• For chewier bars, bake until barely starting to color around the edges and still soft in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes. For crunchier bars, bake until golden brown around the edges and somewhat firm in the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. (Both will still be soft when warm and will firm up as they cool.)
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then, using the parchment to help you, lift out of the pan onto a cutting board (it will still be soft). Cut into 24 bars, then let cool completely without separating the bars, about 30 minutes more. Once cool, separate into bars.

Equipment

• Parchment paper

To make ahead

• Individually wrap airtight and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.