Coconut Almond Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup 7-grain cereal (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1/2 cup shredded dried coconut (unsweetened)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lighly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with 1/2 tsp coconut oil.
3. Coarsely chop almonds in food processor, pulsing to prevent it from pasting up. Remove from processor and set aside.
4. Place apricots in food processor and pulse to mince without allowing it to paste up. Set aside.
5. Place oats, 7-grain cereal, oat bran, almonds, and shredded dried coconut on a large rimmed cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, stir up the mixture several times for even roasting. Mixture should take on a nice medium golden-brown tone. Do not allow it to burn.
6. During the last 7 minutes that the oat cereal mixture is roasting, combine the honey, 3 Tbsp coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a large saucepan. Place over a medium-low heat for about 7 minutes. The honey should be hot enough to flow freely and combine with the oil.
7. When you remove the cereal from the oven, reduce the heat to 300 degrees.
8. Add the cereal mixture and sesame seeds to the honey and stir to combine. Add the minced apricots and mix well.
9. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Using a flat spatula, firmly press the mixture into the dish, ensuring an even distribution and level surface.
10. Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees. When you remove the dish from the oven, slice the baked cereal into the size and number of bars you would like. Be careful to not crumble the bars as you slice. If necessary lightly press down with your spatula on any bars that need reshaping after the cut. The bars will be soft and crumbly while they are hot. Allow them to cool completely before attempting to remove from pan.