Peanut Butter Granola Bars (Sharon Danneman)

Updated 5/4/11. Makes ~40 thick granola bars

7.5 c rolled oats

¼ c wheat germ or wheat bran

(optional)

1 c oil

1 c honey

4 c crispy rice cereal

1½ c corn syrup (try 1 c sugar + 3/8 c water instead)

1 c brown sugar

1½ c creamy peanut butter

Mix oats and oil together in a large bowl. Pour honey over the mixture and stir well. Dump onto a greased cookie sheet and spread flat. Bake at 300° for 30 min. Combine the granola with the crispy rice cereal in a very large bowl. Combine corn syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until blended. Pour over granola and crispy mixture. Stir. Press into two 9x13 pans. Let stand for 1 hour (just until cool). Cut into bars. Store granola bars in airtight container. Freeze if not eaten within a few days.

Try melting chocolate chips on top of bars for a treat.

*Do these same first steps to make granola as well. (See recipe for "granola" under "Breakfast.") Double the first 4 ingredients if making both granola and granola bars. Bake on two cookie sheets. Use one cookie sheet for granola; the other for granola bars.

To make pressing easier, cover granola bars with wax paper and press down with a potato masher.

After cutting cooled bars, I add all of them to one of the 9x13 pans and cover with the plastic lid.

These bars are hearty! Thick and full of energy. The kids love them!