BFMH: Granola Bars

We be flying this week so I made our Breakfast early this week.

As we are traveling I made Homemade Granola Bars! Healthy and filling.

Homemade Granola Bars: A Recipe
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom of 8 or 9 inch pan with aluminum foil then lightly oil or spray with cooking spray.
Add oats and almonds to a small baking sheet and then bake for 5 minutes, stir and bake for another 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.
Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and sugar is completely dissolves.
Pour butter mixture into the bowl with the oats and almonds.
Mix well.
Let cool for about 5 minutes then add cranberries and a 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips.
stir to combine
Transfer oat mixture to lined pan and use a rubber spatula to press them firmly (really firmly) into the pan.
Scatter remaining tablespoons of the chocolate chips.
Cover and refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Remove block o oats from the pan and then peel away foil.
Cut into 12 bars and store in fridge before departure.

Husband doesn't care for chocolate with his squirrel food so I ended up leaving out the chocolate for this go. Next time, I will for sure be using some as I prefer chocolate with my hippie fuel.

Verdict: I think I the ones I made turned out okay. I stirred stuff together with a spatula and I don't think that combined things quite enough. Also, I think I will save out a bit of the toffee next time to drizzle on top so that I have know the top is well sealed. When I pressed everything together, I didn't finish with a even top. While that is more of an aesthetic thing when I cut them up, I think an even surface would have helped with the breakage a bit.

All in all, I will for sure be making my own granola bars from now on.