Granola Bites

I make them different every time, but here is the general idea.

Stir together in a large bowl: 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup rice puffs,  1 cup mini choc chips (optional: you could use dried fruit instead) , 1 ½ cup shredded coconut, 2/3 cup flax seed (grind the seeds), ½ cup of seeds (I use a variety of seeds (sesame, sunflower, chia, pumpkin seeds…does not really matter what type)

Stir together in a smaller bowl: 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup, 1 ripe banana (mashed) and 1 1/2  cups or more nut butter (peanut butter/tahini/sunflower butter), 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon

Stir all together and shape into balls, place on cookie sheet, chill . . .or press onto cookie sheet to make bars, chill in the freezer or refrigerator

Might need to add more honey/syrup and/or nut butter if the balls won't hold shape

***optional additions:

·         food process ½ cup whole, pitted dates and ½ cup walnuts, pecans or almonds

·         2 T cocoa powder

·         Raisins, crasins or any chopped dried fruit

·         Other spices: cloves, nutmeg, allspice

·         ½ cup pumpkin puree

·         For lower sugar, just leave out sweetner…you might need more nut butter to hold it together

Always just add more nut butter is the mixture is not sticky enough to hold