Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Servings: 18 or 24 bars

Cook Time: 10 Minutes  Total Time: 2 Hours
Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
5 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick-cooking/instant oats, such as Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats (do not use regular old-fashioned oats)
1-3/4 cups Brown Rice Crispies (Whole Foods)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup flax meal or wheat germ (I used hemp hearts)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (or to taste) (or dried fruit)

Instructions:

1) Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2) In a large pot, combine the butter, oil, sugar and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

3) Add the oats, rice cereal, almonds and flax meal (or wheat germ, hemp hearts) to the pan and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.

4) Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press down lightly with a rubber spatula to even out. Sprinkle the miniature chocolate chips over top, adding more or less to suit your taste, and press down firmly with the spatula so the chips stick.The mixture should be tightly compacted in the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1-1/2 - 2 hours to cool.

5) Use the foil overhang to transfer the uncut bars to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into rectangles. Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have to stack them, be sure to use parchment paper or foil in between the layers, otherwise they'll stick together and fall apart.

Note: If you are substituting dried fruit for the chocolate chips, mix it in along with the other ingredients as opposed to sprinkling over top.