I have eaten a few too many granola bars this week. I have tested and tasted half a dozen granola bar recipes in the search for a tasty and nutritionally balanced bar. One that has a pleasing texture, is not too sweet and is packed with deliciously nutritious ingredients. I am not sure I have found my perfect granola bar but I have created two recipes I will certainly make again. When I recover from my fibre, dried fruit and corn syrup hangover, there will definitely be a follow up blog on this topic.

The two recipes for this post have essentially the same ingredients but vary in texture and sweetness. Whether you or your children like your granola bars crunchy or chewy, sweet or more savoury, either of these recipes should please. And remember, you can always change up the ingredients.

Chewy Nut Free Granola Bar

This recipe was headed in one direction but some late night math miscalculations sent it in another and luckily with a pretty delicious outcome. This recipe is the chewiest and by far the sweetest of the two recipes.

1 cup oats (large flake or quick cooking)

1 cup cheerios

¾ cup sunflower seeds (I used salted)

½ cup coconut

½ cup chocolate chips

1.5 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberry, blueberry etc)

2/3 cups brown sugar

¼ cup butter (melted)

½ cup corn syrup

Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in sauce pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool and add to remaining ingredients. Place in an 8 x8 greased cake pan. Press down ingredients and cook in a 325F oven for 30 minutes. Allow the bars to cool for 15 minutes and then cut. Cool completely prior to lifting out of pan. Cut into 8 or 16. These bars are quite sweet so a smaller serving would be appropriate for a child.

Sweet Salty Crispy Nut Free Granola Bar

This recipe is certainly not as sweet and the texture is more crumbly and crunchy. I like the balance of sweet and salty in this recipe. The addition of cheerios lightens the texture of the oats.

1 cup oats

1 cup cheerios

½ cup dried fruit

½ cup sunflower seeds (roasted and salted)

2 TB flax meal

¼ cup chocolate chips

4 TB butter (melted)

3 TB corn syrup

3 TB maple syrup

¼ tsp salt

Combine butter, maple syrup and corn syrup. Add to remaining ingredients and place in an 8 x8 greased cake pan. Press down ingredients and cook in a 325F oven for 30 minutes. Allow the bars to cool for 15 minutes and then cut. Cool completely prior to lifting out of pan.

Tracey is owner of Epicuria and mother of two young boys.  Watch for her lunchtime solutions here at Best Tools for Schools. Follow her on Twitter @brownbagmom