Protein Granola Bars With Kashi Golean

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar-free maple syrup (Splenda)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/8 cup water
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (no sugar added)
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• 1/3 cup protein powder
• 2 tablespoons Splenda brown sugar blend (packed)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 dash dried ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup nuts (chopped, I use soy nuts in a coffee grinder)
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 1/2 cups Kashi Golean cereal (or other puffed grains)
• 6 ounces dried fruit
• cooking spray

Directions

1. 1

   Put first 3 ingredients (up to 1/8 cup water) into a large mixing bowl.

2. 2

   Whisk in the next 8 ingredients (up to 1/4 teaspoon salt).

3. 3

   Set aside or put into fridge.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. 5

   Put the next 5 ingredients (oats, pepitas, almonds, soy nuts, wheat germ) on a cookie sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes, stir after 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Mix toasted ingredients, chopped fruit, GoLean cereal, and the mixture in the fridge thoroughly (easiest to do with your hands).

7. 7

   Grease either a cookie sheet or muffin pan with calorie-free cooking spray.

8. 8

   Either hand-form mixture into 15 well compressed equal sized cakes and put onto the cookie sheet, or compress into 12 to 16 muffin tins.

9. 9

   Reduce heat to 300 degrees.

10. 10

    Cook for 25 minutes.

11. 11

    Let cool and individually wrap for fridge or freezer.