Flaxseed, Raisin, and Fig Granola Bars

Homemade granola bars have been all the rage on a lot of blogs lately.  I was finally inspired enough by the figs my mom sent me home with to make some of my own.

Brown-eyed baker made creating granola bars easy with a basic granola bar formula.  The only change I would make is to toast the oats and nuts first because they didn't come out crunchy at all.  Still, super delicious!  Below is both the basic granola bar recipe and the way that I made it.  YUM!

Basic Granola Bar Formula
from brown-eyed baker

1. Rolled Grains (2½ cups)
Suggestions: Oats, Rye flakes, Barley flakes, etc.

2. Nuts, Seeds & Spices (1 cup)
Suggestions: Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Cinnamon, Ginger, etc.

3. Sticky Sweetener (1/3 cup + ¼ cup)
Suggestions: Honey, Agave Nectar, Molasses, Maple Syrup

4. Dried Fruits or Chocolate Chips (1 cup)
Suggestions: Raisins, Apricots, Dates, Figs, Prunes, Cranberries, Pineapple, White Chocolate Chips etc.

5. Binder (1 cup)
Suggestions: Pureed Dried Fruit, Apple Butter, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Unsweetened applesauce, etc.

Flaxseed, Raisin, and Fig Granola Bars

Yield: 8 to 12 bars, depending on how large you cut them

Ingredients:1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups rolled oats

1/4 

cup chopped peanuts
3/4 cup flax seed
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F with the rack in the middle. Lay peanuts, flax seed, and oats in a 9 x 13″ baking dish in a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. Set aside and let cool a bit.

2. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. (my pan was a little longer than this)

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, honey, applesauce, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla extract. Stir in the toasted oats, peanuts, and flax seed, making sure that it is evenly mixed and all of the oats are moistened. Mix in the figs and raisins.

4. Turn the mixture out into the baking pan and press into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the freezer until the bars are firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.