Homemade Granola Bars

I've been making a lot of granola lately, and I mean A LOT. It's the perfect breakfast or snack on the go. I just love it. 

I found a recipe for homemade granola bars on Pinterest and couldn't wait to try it. We've been buying these super delicious peanut butter and dark chocolate granola bars made by Nature Valley lately, and they are sooo good. After looking through a few different homemade granola recipes, I realized it was actually pretty easy. 

The best thing about granola is that you can literally add ANYTHING you want! Just look at this amazing  mix of oats, quinoa, almonds, sunflower seeds...

Don't like almonds? You could use walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or cashews. You can add in or leave out any ingredients to suit your taste buds. And of course, adding in some peanut butter would be amaaazing!

If you don't have all of the ingredients laying around...(maybe you don't hoard almonds, oats, quinoa, and chocolate chips like I do)...you could also just use a bag of your favorite trail mix and turn it into granola bars. SO EASY! :)

Homemade Granola Bars

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats 

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons flaxseeds

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the oats, quinoa, almonds, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet. Toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once. 
• Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper or foil. Make sure you have a piece that is long enough to hang over the sides. It will make it easier to lift the bars out of the pan.
• While the granola is toasting, heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan on the stove. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and stir to make sure the brown sugar dissolves.
• Put the toasted granola in a large bowl. Pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Fold the parchment or foil over the top of the granola in the pan and press down to fill the corners and flatten. Keep pressing and smooth the granola out so that it is even.
• Let the granola bars set up in a cool dry place for at least an hour. You could also let them set up in the refrigerator.
• Life the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice down the middle and then cut each half into 6 bars. Lay the bars on a clean piece of parchment or foil. 
• Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the sliced bars. 

Red Velvet Pancakes

IT'S SNOWING IN GEORGIA.

So you know what that means...no school! :) It has been a pretty crazy 12 hours around here. Snow and ice covered the roads starting around noon yesterday. So many people have been stuck on the roads for 8+ hours, or even overnight! We are so thankful to be home and safe. 

Even Bailey loved her first time playing in the snow!

I love breakfast. I love pancakes. This morning was the perfect chance to try out these red velvet pancakes. I just love red velvet anything. 

These pancakes are soft and fluffy, with just the perfect amount of sweetness. I don't normally use a mix when making pancakes, but we had some left over so I didn't want it to go to waste. These are super easy to make and using the baking mix just takes out a few extra steps and ingredients. 

They are absolutely perfect with a dollop of cream cheese (you can't have red velvet without cream cheese!) and a drizzle of warm maple syrup. 

Looks like the perfect surprise for breakfast in bed on Valentine's Day! :)

Red Velvet Pancakes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick mix

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon red food coloring

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together baking mix and cocoa powder, set aside. Measure out milk into a liquid measuring cup and whisk in vinegar, allow mixture to rest for 2 minutes. Pour milk mixture into a separate large mixing bowl and add in sugar, eggs, red food coloring, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk mixture until combined. While whisking, slowly add in your dry ingredients and combine. Do not over mix! 

Depending on how big you want your pancakes, pour about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter at a time onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the top surface of the pancakes then flip and cook opposite side until pancake is cooked through.

Serve warm with a dollop of cream cheese and a drizzle of maple syrup. :)

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

I've had a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on our kitchen counter for the past couple of days and I've been searching for a way to use them up so they don't go to waste. 

I'm kind of over banana bread at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I have made some pretty delicious ones in the past, but I was wanting something a little bit different this morning. I'm a huge fan of the peanut butter and banana combo and this totally hit the spot. 

This oatmeal is super easy to make and it literally only takes about 10 minutes! It's the perfect breakfast for those of us that don't have a lot of time in the morning. 

I topped mine with some toasted pecans, but brown sugar, maple syrup, or even some more peanut butter would be yummy! 

Similar recipes: Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Pancakes, Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
Ingredients: 
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup non fat Greek yogurt (I used Chobani's Vanilla non fat yogurt)
1 ripe mashed banana
1-2 tbsp light brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
optional toppings: chopped pecans, {more} peanut butter, cinnamon, maple syrup, brown sugar

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring milk and water just to a boil. 
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in Greek yogurt, oats, mashed banana, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and peanut butter. 
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. 
Cover and let it sit for about 3 minutes. 
Serve warm with chopped pecans or other toppings. 
Serves 2 

Greek Yogurt Peanut Butter Pancakes

OMG! I was in pancake breakfast heaven after eating these. I am telling you, these pancakes are sooo amazingly delicious. Seriously, my mouth is watering right now as I type...  

They are light, fluffy and super peanut buttery.  A little peanut butter maple syrup on top and it is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. The batter for these pancakes is thicker than the usual, but the pancakes still manage to come out fluffy and light...you have to make them!

Greek Yogurt Peanut Butter Pancakes

Ingredients:

for pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons skim milk

1/2 cup peanut butter chips
for syrup
1 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate medium bowl, beat Greek yogurt, eggs, honey, vanilla, and milk until smooth and well combined. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and mix together. The batter will be very thick. You can add in a teaspoon or two of milk if you think it's too thick, stir until it is smooth. Next, gently fold in peanut butter chips.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet. You may need to use a spoon to spread out the batter just a tiny bit, since the pancake batter will be thick and you’ll want them to cook thoroughly. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes. Repeat with more cooking spray and remaining batter.

To make the syrup, place maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Wait until mixture begins to simmer, and stir every few minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle over warm pancakes.

Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Muffins

We are seriously addicted to muffins at our house. Ever since I started making these, I just can't stop! I make them every weekend for the perfect on-the-go breakfast during the week. Just pop them in the microwave for a 30 seconds and they are delish!

I have also made these with almond butter instead of peanut butter and they are just as good. This is a great healthy recipe when you need a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2-3 ripe bananas

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter (you could also substitute almond butter)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan with non stick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. 
• Place all of the ingredients, except chocolate chips, into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add in the oats one cup at a time and blend in between.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Using a medium cookie scoop, divide the batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
• Serve warm.

Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

I love a good pancake recipe. This one is quick, simple, and healthy. Perfect for a Sunday morning.  The ingredients are all good for you and you probably already have most of them in your pantry.

The pancakes are fluffy and airy. We drizzled them with a little bit of light maple syrup and they were delicious! The applesauce gives is just the right amount of sweetness without adding too much sugar.

Apple Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of your applesauce)
1/2 cup applesauce
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable oil 

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Let the batter set at least 5 minutes to soften the oats.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to medium-high heat. Coat generously with cooking spray.

Dollop the batter onto the hot surface in 1/4 cup amounts per pancake.

When the edges of the pancakes appear dry and bubbles are forming on the surface, flip the pancakes and cook the other side until golden brown.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

I've had a bunch of brown bananas laying around for the past few days and I finally used them! There is nothing better than a freshly baked loaf of banana bread. And plus your house will smell amazing. If you're a fan of bananas, you might want to also check out this Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

I saw this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod and was intrigued by the roasted bananas. The roasting process is supposed to bring out the best banana flavor...and boy did it. It's super easy to roast them...just throw them in the oven for 15 minutes. Easy as that!

Smear some Nutella onto a thick warm slice and this is the perfect breakfast on a Saturday morning. Yumm!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 large ripe-to-over-ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. 
• Place bananas on a baking sheet and roast, with peels on, for 15-20 minutes. They will darken and blister. Set aside to cool.
• Remove the roasted bananas from the peels. In the bottom of a large bowl, mash cooled bananas with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until a few tiny lumps remain. 
• Whisk in egg, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg over mixture and stir until combined. Stir in flour until just combined.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. 
• Cool loaf in pan on rack.

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

Here's my round 2 puff pastry recipe. I bought some earlier this week for my tomato and goat cheese tart...and now I'm making cinnamon rolls! The original recipe is based on one by Ina Garten but I cut the butter way down. The woman knows how to cook, but healthy is not her style. I also opted for no raisins and just added the pecans to the filling.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold your sheet of puff pastry. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1/2 inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle the sheet with the brown sugar/pecan mixture. 

Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces (I made mine smaller and was able to get 9 pieces). Place each piece, spiral side up, in a muffin cup. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden on top and firm to the touch. 

The best part about these cinnamon rolls is the smooth mixture of butter and brown sugar that is on the bottom of the muffin pan before the cinnamon rolls are put in. After baking, you invert the rolls onto a tray to reveal that this yummy mixture has created a caramel glaze that pours all over the rolls. OH MY YUM! Way better than regular old icing! 

It's pretty much amazing. And wait until you taste the puff pastry...it creates a buttery, flakey roll that is soooo good. I also love that they are smaller than normal - they are perfect with a cup of coffee. These are so easy to make and perfect for any old Saturday morning!

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa 

Ingredients:
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted 
For the filling:
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans, slightly toasted

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Divide this mixture between the bottom of the muffin cups.
• In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans
• Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold your sheet of puff pastry. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1/2 inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle the sheet with the brown sugar/pecan mixture.
• Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.
• Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces (I made mine smaller and was able to get 9 pieces). Place each piece, spiral side up, in a muffin cup.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden on top and firm to the touch. 
• After baking, invert muffin tin onto a baking sheet. The cinnamon rolls should come out easily with the caramel sauce over each.

If you're a fan of cinnamon, be sure to also check out my Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! :)

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Cake for breakfast?? Don't mind if I do! This blueberry coffee cake is lightly sweetened and  full of blueberries. It's partially made with whole wheat flour to give it a healthy spin. There's only 2 tablespoons of butter and the moisture comes from yogurt instead of sour cream...so good for you! So I guess I shouldn't feel that bad eating it first thing in the morning!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, in 2 batches, stirring until just combined. (do not overmix or your coffee cake will be tough)
In a separate small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the cake, pressing gently. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut the cake into 2-inch squares.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

There are a few recipes that when I see I absolutely have to make. This doesn't usually happen very often. I usually just bookmark or pin the recipe and move on to something else that grabs my attention. But the second I saw the words "Cinnamon Roll Pancakes," I was hooked. After staring at the picture, rereading the recipe about 5 times, and wiping the drool off my face, I realized I had all of the ingredients and made them last Sunday morning. Evan is not a big pancake fan. He's actually not a big fan of breakfast at all; just give him a big bowl of soggy cereal and he's a happy boy.  HOWEVER - after he ate these yummy pancakes, he couldn't deny how amazingly delicious they were! 

These sinful pancakes start with a classic pancake recipe and swirl in a cinnamon, brown sugar, butter mixture. When you flip the pancake, it starts to caramelize and get crispy. Drizzle some warm maple cream cheese glaze and you are in some serious trouble. This is almost too good for it to be considered breakfast. I think the reason I loved them so much is because I felt like I was eating dessert for breakfast! :)

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes 

Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients:

PANCAKES: (makes about 4/5 pancakes)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING: *makes enough for more than 4 pancakes

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed


1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

MAPLE CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. good maple syrup
milk

Directions:

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened.

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour filling into a small zip lock bag with the tip cut off. Set aside and let it thicken a bit.

3. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and maple syrup in a bowl until smooth, dripping in small amounts of milk until mixture is a drizzling consistency. 

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. When pancake has started to cook a little, swirl in the cinnamon filling. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon glaze onto the top of each pancake.