Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Snack Bars

The recipe for these bars came out of the need to find a healthier alternative to the sugar-laden granola bars that you find in the grocery store that are essentially devoid of nutrients and could actually be considered glorified candy bars.  So, over the last few months, I've been tinkering around.  This bar recipe is the result of my efforts - it has good flavor (but isn't overly sweet) with a slightly chewy texture.  And my daughter approves of it.  Another bonus:  these bars are nearly allergen-free!  I used gluten-free flour (although you could use regular unbleached wheat) and there are no eggs or dairy to be found!  It does have peanut butter (obviously) but you could use another nut butter instead.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup ground chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons whole)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur Glutenfree Multi-Purpose Flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan with wax paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine chia seeds and water.  Let sit for a few minutes or until water is absorbed.  Add canola oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, and salt.  Gradually incorporate this mixture into the wet mixture until combined.
4. Dump mixture into prepared pan and lightly press into one even layer.  Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.  
5. Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly.  Turn pan over onto a cutting board and it should come out as one large rectangular piece.  Remove wax paper and cut into rectangular bars about 4 1/4-inches long by 1 1/2-inches wide.

Yield: 16 bars

Serving Size:  1 bar 

Allergen Info:  contains peanuts

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Recipe by Michelle Baglio of Optimal Nutrition and Health (Google+).  All recipes, unless otherwise noted, are created and tested in my home kitchen.  Any resemblance to other recipes available in print or online is purely coincidental.  The use of particular brands and/or products is sometimes noted because of their quality and the use of other products, while similar, may affect the outcome of the finished dish.  Please do not reprint this recipe for distribution without my permission.  To feature this recipe on your website, please link to this post as the original source.