I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my firstborn starts kindergarten THIS YEAR. I could (and should) write a full post on how fast time flies, how I’m not ready for him to go to real school (during a pandemic nonetheless) and also how amazing he is. So instead, I’m taking out my anxiety and emotions by baking and making sure we’re prepared and ready to start! One of the ways we are doing this is by making sure we have snacks, since FW has a morning snack he must bring every day. Snacks (and all foods) must be tree nut free, so that leaves out so many of our usual go-tos, like PB&J, or energy bites. Luckily, I found a recipe for granola bars that FW (and the rest of the family) enjoys, so this is going to be part of our new rotation.

If you’re seeking a snack recipe for school (or home) that has no tree nuts or peanuts (read: no almonds, etc.), then you must try this!

Tree Nut-Free Granola Bars

Here’s what you need:

• 2 cup old fashioned oats, dry
• 2/3 c brown sugar
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks (optional)

Here’s what you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix together all ingredients, through coconut.
3. Pour and press the batter into the pan. The batter is super dry, so press it down so it sticks.
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips (optional) on top of batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. I like to then spread a toothpick or knife gently across the top of the batter so the chocolate chips melt over the batter.
6. Let cool entirely before slicing into 12-14 bars. (I made 12)

After cooling and slicing, I individually wrapped these in plastic wrap, and then froze them for easy storing and selecting for school lunches!