Granola bar recipes

I know there are some bakers out there who make their own granola bars. I've been making my own for years, and recently started a spreadsheet to look at costs vs mainstream products on all of the homemade goods in my life (bread, almond milk, kombucha, kimchee, granola...etc) and saw that one of the biggest savings margins (not to mention health margins) was in granola bars (depending on recipe, about 85c savings per bar as compared to common brands).

So, without further ado, I present to you my standard weekly granola bar recipe. Then, hook it up with yours!

*See bottom of recipe for specific variations

Dry ingredients
1.5C rolled oats
1C crispy rice cereal/puffed millet
3/4C chopped nuts*
1C dried fruits, soaked in warm water for 15min*
3/4 TBSP cocoa powder
1/4tsp salt

Wet ingredients
1/2C brown rice syrup
1/4C honey/agave
1tsp vanilla extract
1TBSP peanut-butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325, line 8x8 baking dish with parchment
2. Mix dry ingredients
3. Mix wet ingredients in small saucepan over low heat
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until evenly coated
5. Press ingredients into baking dish (firmly)
6. Bake for 23-25min
7. Cool and enjoy

Variations/specifics
- pecans + dried cranberries + pumpkin pie spice
- brazil nuts + dried pineapple (leave out cocoa powder)
- almonds + almond-extract (no vanilla) + dried cherries + 1/2C dark chocolate
- soy nuts + lavender-extract (or 1 sprig finely chopped food-grade lavender) + dried cherries (leave out peanut-butter)