Strawberry Freezer Granola Bars

Makes 20-24 bars

3/4 C peanut butter
1/3 C honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 large bananas, well mashed
1/3 C ground flax
3 C old fashioned rolled oats
3 C crispy/crunchy cereal
2-3 C fresh strawberries, chopped
1/2 – 1 C chocolate chips

Prepare a 9×13 pan by lining it with plastic wrap or parchment or wax paper. Or prepare two muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, mashed bananas and ground flax seed.

Mix well and add the rolled oats and cereal and stir until incorporated.

Add the strawberries and chocolate chips and gently stir them in.

Press the mixture into the 9×13 pan or divide the mixture between the muffin cups and press down well.

Once the mixture is packed well, place them in the freezer and freeze completely, 4-6 hours or overnight.

Remove from the 9×13 pan and slice into bars. Individually wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer or simply remove from the muffin tin and place in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag to store in the freezer.

Notes:
-Instead of peanut butter try your favorite other nut butter such as almond butter- for nut free try sunflower seed butter.
-To make these vegan, use your favorite other liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, etc.
-I used a crispy brown rice cereal, but it does not stay crispy after the bars are frozen. If you want some change in texture I recommend choosing a very crunchy cereal, for example grape nuts would maintain their crunch even after the bars are frozen.