For the Win

I’ve talked about my big little brother several times on the blog. You see, he is a growing boy who spends 5 hours a day playing basketball. That translates to lots of FOOD. In an effort to give him more healthy snack options, I’ve been trying to find a granola bar recipe he will really like. I’ve made a variety of different kinds using quinoa, pumpkin or just oats. But this time I tried to make it a bit more brother-friendly.


I found the original recipe over at Peas and Thank You. She was going for a home made version of the Clif Kid Z Bar. And as much as I appreciate Clif Bars being made without high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil or artificial colors, I still thought the nutrition facts could use a face lift.



So with a little direction from Peas and Thank You and some of my own ideas, I created the new “Z Bar”.

The New “Z” Barmakes about 10 bars
1/2 c. oats
3/4 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. protein powder (or flour if you don’t have any)
1/2 t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1/2 c. + 2 T. applesauce
1/2 c. + 2 T. almond milk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. chocolate chips

In one bowl mix the flour, oats, protein powder, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar. In a separate bowl mix the applesauce, milk, vanilla and honey. Combine both mixtures. I chose to just sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, but if you’d like to mix them in you can at this point.


Spray an 8x8 pan and fill with the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. At that point it will look a bit golden and the edges will pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 10 minutes or so, then cut into your bars. Enjoy!

Here are the nutrition stats:
“Z” Bar: 120 calories, 3 grams protein, 11 grams sugar
The New “Z” Bar: 150 calories, 8 grams protein, 3 grams sugar
I think that’s definitely a win!

Pumpkin Love

More pumpkin love comin’ at ya! Here is a twist on my granola bars that I make frequently. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Granola Bars

1/2 c. wheat flour
2 c. oats
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. pumpkin
1/3 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. sunflower seeds and/or almonds
1/4 c. chia seeds

Mix those ingredients together in a bowl, then pour into a greased or lined baking dish. Be sure to spread out the mix evenly and press it down firmly into the dish. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. Then let cool for 30-60 minutes. You can usually get 10-12 bars out of this recipe.