When I first tried out this recipe, I all but abandoned it.

However, instead of throwing out the uncooperative granola bars, that just wouldn’t seem to stick together without being baked in the oven, I set them aside to return to later.

And ended up learning quite a lesson on patience.

When I came back to the bars an hour later, they had completely firmed up. Instead of a crumbly, sticky mess, I found the oats and whole wheat flour had absorbed the honey and applesauce, creating sixteen perfect granola bars. Whole the bars were certainly lightly sweetened and chewy, they were also softer than I would have expected, and even melted-in-your-mouth ever so slightly due to the dark chocolate.

In short, the bars were perfect.

And I was suddenly extraordinarily glad I hadn’t rashly thrown them away, without really giving the recipe a chance.

The best thing about these bars (aside from their taste and perfect consistency) is how easy they are to make. Just add all of the ingredients (except the chocolate!) into a big ole bowl and stir until combined. Then press into a pan lined with wax paper and drizzle with chocolate. Freeze for 20 minutes, then you’re done!

And there you have breakfast for the next week!

Additionally, they don’t require any bizarre ingredients you can’t pronounce, or high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or bleached flour. Instead, I kept the recipe simple and whole with oats, applesauce, honey, and trail mix. Add in a bit of whole wheat flour, a dash of cinnamon, and a drizzle of chocolate and you have yourself a granola bar that’s just as good as anything from Quaker or Nature Valley. Without the copious amounts of sugar and oil.

The whole grains, protein, and healthy fats in this recipe will be sure to keep you full through the day — all you need is a little patience when waiting for them to harden into granola bars!

No Bake Trail Mix Bar

• 1 c old fashioned oats
• 1 c raw trail mix of choice
• 3 tbs whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c natural applesauce
• 1/4 c honey (or agave, maple syrup)
• 1/4 c dark chocolate

Add oats, trail mix, flour, and cinnamon to a large bowl and stir until combined. Add honey and applesauce and stir with a fork until everything has been evenly coated. Line an 8″x8″ pan with wax paper and add trail mix bar mixture. Press down with the back of a fork. Melt chocolate chips in a bowl and, using a fork, drizzle onto bars. Freeze for 20 minutes, or until hardened. Slice and store at room temperature (it make take them about 1 hour at room temp to firm up). Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 95

Fat: 4g

Carbs: 14g

Protein: 2g

(Yields 16 servings)