PREP: 20 minutes BAKE: 10 minutes at 350°F + 12 minutes at 300°F MAKES: 18 bars

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Granola Bars

What You’ll Need

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup regular rolled oats

¼ cup light-color corn syrup

¼ cup peanut butter

3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

2 cups crisp rice cereal

¾ cup coarsely broken pretzel sticks

¼ cup toasted wheat germ

2 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds

¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

How to Make It

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Spread oats in a 15×10-inch baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring twice. Remove from oven; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine the next five ingredients (through honey). Heat and stir over medium heat just until peanut butter and brown sugar are melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt. In a bowl stir together the toasted oats and the next four ingredients (through chia seeds). Pour corn syrup mixture over oat mixture; stir to combine.

3. Press oat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate pieces over the top; press pieces firmly into oat mixture. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until firm. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To Store: Layer bars between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

PER BAR: 148 cal., 5 g fat (2 g sat. fat), 3 mg chol., 147 mg sodium, 23 g carb., 2 g fiber, 4 g pro.