Hi there! I’m Emily. I eat, read, live, and love over at One Lovely Life. My recipes are primarily healthy, as well as fairly allergy-friendly. My daughter has gluten and dairy sensitivities, so we’ve revamped our diet to accommodate them. I’m on a mission to show that healthy eating can be delicious and accessible. I’ve known Becky since college (we had a few classes together in the same major!). I’m so excited for her beautiful new baby girl!

With two busy toddlers and a husband plowing through the end of his master’s degree, I often feel like we’re always on the go! Since we can’t pack a bag of goldfish crackers or a tube of portable yogurt, we’ve gotten a lot more creative with snack time, and I love making a big batch of something we can pull out all week long. Often that’s in the form of homemade larabars or build-your-own trail mix, but granola bars have been a recent favorite we can’t get enough of.

This is a simple apple-cinnamon number you can pull together in just a few minutes. It does call for one ingredient you may not be familiar with–Brown Rice Syrup. It’s a unique sweetener, since it’s not refined and is literally just made from water and brown rice! It’s got a nice, rich flavor and also really keeps these granola bars nice and soft. The little crunch from the dried apples and some warmth from the cinnamon really make these special. If you’re kids aren’t into dried apples, you can use raisins or even mini-chocolate chips instead. It’s all delicious 🙂

p.s. I can find brown rice syrup at my local sprouts, as well as places like Whole Foods, but it’s becoming more readily available in regular grocery stores too. Check your health foods aisle next time you’re out shopping. You can also sometimes score a great deal on Amazon.

For more healthy snack and meal ideas + fun reads for your toddlers and preschoolers, feel free to find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. I’d love to connect!

Yield: 12

Apple-Cinnamon Granola Bars (gluten free, vegan)

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup crisp rice cereal (I like Erewhon Crisp Brown Rice)
• 1/2 cup dried apples or apple chips, diced small
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter)
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, melt together coconut oil, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
2. While syrup mixture is cooking, stir together oats, rice cereal, and dried apples. Pour syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
3. The mixture will seem a bit wet–Don’t worry!
4. Line an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper. Pat granola mixture into the pan firmly. Allow to cool completely, 1-2 hours. The granola bars will set as they cool. To speed things up, you can pop them in the refrigerator.
5. Slice and eat! Granola bars will keep covered for 4-5 days.