Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Trail Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup natural-style smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the peanut butter, sugar, and honey in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until blended.
4. Blend egg and egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Add to the peanut butter mixture, along with oil and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
5. Add reserved flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula.
6. Mix in oats, dried cranberries (or raisins), walnuts (or almonds) and chocolate chips.
7. Scrape batter into the prepared baking dish.
8. Use a piece of plastic wrap to spread batter into an even layer.
9. Bake the bars until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes.
10. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into 24 bars.

Nutrition

Per serving (one 2 x 2-inch bar): 175 cal, 8 gfat (1 gsat), 24 gcarbs, 4 gprotein, 2 gfiber, 9mg chol, 68mg sodium