Hello! This is Alex from Spoonful of Sugar Free. Here is a homemade granola bar recipe that is great for kids of all ages!

Crazy Healthy Granola Bars

~This granola bar recipe is extremely versatile, and can be made to suit any diet. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free!

Makes 30 bars

Ingredients

1 cup of squash puree (ex. pumpkin, butternut squash, or just throw in a baked sweet potato!)
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, walnut butter, coconut butter…)
2 eggs or egg substitutes (I used a mix of flax egg and chia egg. Mix chia or flax with water and let sit for 20 min)
2 cups grains (oats, puffed millet, dry cereal…)
2 cups of extra add-ins (dried fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate, spices…)

Preheat oven to 375*. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Feel free to add whatever you want to it. The mixture should stick together when raw. If it does not stick together, simply add more nut butter and squash. You may halve, double, or triple the recipe at your pleasure.

Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and firm. Let it cool for 5 minutes until cutting into bars.

For those stuck on granola bar add ins, try these ideas:

PB&J bars: peanut butter, chopped peanuts, dried blueberries and strawberries, oats. Eat sandwich style with jelly.

Elvis Bar: Substitute mashed banana for the squash. Peanut butter, and bacon bits.

Carrot Cake Bar: oats, shredded carrot, raisins, coconut.

Alex's Bar: My favorite combo. Bananas, unsweetened chocolate, and peanut butter. Must I say more?

Apple Crumble Bar: oats, almond butter, sliced almonds, cinnamon, apple chunks

Fudge Bars: Take all the chocolate and cacao you have in the house and dump it into the batter with cocoa powder.

Reese's Bars: Chocolate and Peanut butter.

Gingersnap Bars: almond butter, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, and adorable siblings will love creating their own healthy, sugar-free granola bars! Let them search through the grocery store for their favorite ingredients, and help them learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. If your child can read, teach them how to identify “bad” ingredients from the ingredients list.

They will have so much fun using their hands to mix the ingredients together. Just make sure they wash their hands first! While the granola bars are baking, help them create labels to individually wrap their bar creations. They will have fun with naming their own special bar and creating a fun label with paper, crayons, markers, pencils, stickers, and tape. I named my first batch “Crazy Bar” because I literally tossed in any nut, grain, fruit, or unsweetened chocolate piece I could find in my cupboard!

These granola bars are the perfect snack for the young and old. Instead of reaching for a candy bar, grab this tasty, unsweetened treat to satisfy your hunger cravings. Kids will more likely eat their own creations anyway.

My little brother is so excited to make his own granola bars!

Now you go have fun, and make some healthy granola bars while teaching the little ones around you how to be healthy! If they start forming good habits now, they can stay healthy throughout their life.

Note: It is best to keep the bars refrigerated because they will last longer.