Healthy Granola Bars with a Chewy Nutty Texture

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 ⅔ cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (Optional)

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F and greasing a 9-inch square baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter and melted butter until it's nice and smooth. Then stir in the brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Once that’s well combined, add the applesauce and give it another good stir.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, toss the oats with the flour so they’re evenly coated. Add in the peanuts and raisins, then pour the peanut butter mixture over everything. Stir it all together until the oats and nuts are completely covered.

Step 3

Press the mixture firmly into your prepared pan and pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes. When the time’s up, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake for another 5 minutes or so, just until the chips melt and the edges start to turn golden. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top. Let the bars cool all the way before cutting them into squares.