MORNING HEALTH BARS

Morning Health Bars image

This is a big hit on those mornings when you're running out the door and need a quick grab-and-go bite. Yummy and filling!

Provided by Donna Bardocz

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 c peanut butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar (can reduce amount or replace with stevia or truvia)
1/2 c honey or pure maple syrup (can reduce amount or replace with stevia or truvia)
1/2 c cup butter, melted (can sub 1/4 cup of mashed bananas or applesauce for replacing the butter)
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 c chopped roasted and salted pecans (can sub sesame or sunflower seeds, or any other kinds of nuts)
1/2 c dried cherries (can sub raisins, craisins, chopped dates, currants, dried cranberries or any other dried fruits)
1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (can sub carob, bittersweet, or milk chocolate chips)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl stir together the peanut butter, the melted butter, the brown sugar, the honey or syrup and the vanilla and almond extracts until smooth.
3. Add all the other ingredients. Stir well.
4. Press the mixture into 13 x 9 inch greased pan and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or just until they lightly browned around the edges.
5. While still warm score bars, but let cool completely on wire rack before removing bars to a serving platter or storage container.
6. Store any leftover bar in the refrigerator as they keep best that way.
7. Recipe Note: You can individually wrap each bar for a quick on-the-go healthy breakfast bar. You can freeze them for long-term storage that way too.
8. Charlotte Hunt was kind enough to use a online program to approximate the nutritional values of the way I made my recipe--remember that is just approximation... Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 24 Amount Per Serving Calories: 232.6 Total Fat: 13.5 g Cholesterol: 10.2 mg Sodium: 84.1 mg Total Carbs: 27.4 g Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g Protein: 4.8 g
9. Rhonda Gutman used the Sparks People Recipe Calculator at: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp 24 Servings-Amount Per Serving Calories 198.8 Total Fat 10.7 g Saturated Fat 4.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 4.0 g Cholesterol 10.4 mg Sodium 146.8 mg Potassium 142.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 25.5 g Dietary Fiber 2.3 g Sugars 15.7 g Protein 3.7 g Vitamin A 17.0 % Vitamin B-12 0.1 % Vitamin B-6 17.0 % Vitamin C 0.2 % Vitamin D 0.0 % Vitamin E 4.3 % Calcium 8.0 % Copper 6.3 % Folate 11.4 % Iron 17.1 % Magnesium 8.8 % Manganese 32.0 % Niacin 15.2 % Pantothenic Acid 2.3 % Phosphorus 9.1 % Riboflavin 7.9 % Selenium 9.9 % Thiamin 16.2 % Zinc 4.8 % *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs