This high energy snack is full of natural, wholesome ingredients! They are chewy, wholesome and healthy. Not to mention, so easy and quick - they take less than 30 Minutes to whip up!

I love granola bars. However they are usually overpriced and contain lots of sugar and other not-so-guilt-free ingredients. 

They are highly adaptable using whatever you have on hand. You could add nuts or other dry or fresh fruit or maybe even some chocolate chips for a bit more sweetness. Just keep in mind that, if you add larger ingredients, you should chop them up a bit. My rule of thumb is, it should be about the size of a raisin or smaller. That way you can cut the bars easier and as small as you prefer. 

Hope you enjoy them! 

Makes about 9 to 10 large Bars. 

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 large banana
• 1/2 cup dried prunes
• 3-4 chopped dried prunes
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) or a 4x13 inch (10x35 cm) baking pan.
2. Blend the banana and 1/2 cup dried prunes until smooth.
3. In a large bowl mix together the banana-prune mixture, maple syrup and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
4. Stir in oats, making sure all of the oats are well moistured. Add more maple syrup if needed.
5. Add raisins, cranberries and chopped prunes.
6. Press mixture into the prepared baking pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 Minutes. Cool for at least 1 hour or overnight befor cutting into squares or rectangles.

basic granola recipe adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

If you are a cinnamon sugar fan, I have a great donut recipe for you. They are really quick to throw together.

This is amazing! The donuts are soft baked and the cinnamon sugar gives everything a little "crunch". I love everything nutella related. You could put it in, or on top of everything :) It always tastes good. :)

And the result? Soft-sweet-crunchy-donut-goodness! I love it.

Makes about 8 regular size Donuts.

Ingredients

         Donuts

• 5 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• about 5 Tablespoons of nutella

          for the Topping

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Lightly grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar. 
3. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. In a seperate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
5. Stir the dry mixture into the dry mixture until combined.
6. Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or just use a spoon. Pipe (or spoon) half of the mixture into the pan only filling 1/4 of the way full.
7. Fill the nutella into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe a thin line onto the center of the donut mixture.
8. Pipe the other half of the donut mixture and nutella on top only filling 1/4 of the way full. (the nutella should be completely covered)
9. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 - 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
10. Allow to cool slightly before dipping in topping.
11. Melt the butter for the topping and combine cinnamon and sugar.
12. Dip each donut gently about half way in butter then roll in cinnamon and sugar. (it`s very important that you`re extra careful with this step because the donuts are very soft and could fall apart while dipping in butter)
13. Enjoy!

basic donut recipe adapted from bakerbetty.com

Baked Strawberry Donuts. A sweet treat that is easy to make! 

My first thought about baking them was, that they would not taste as good as fried ones, but these are so good you`re gonna forget that as soon as you take the first bite. The dough is soft and with every bite, you taste the sweetness and intense flavor of the strawberries. The glaze adds a bit more sweetness because the dough isn`t too sweet on its own. 

These donuts are perfect for summer! 

Makes about 8 regular size Donuts.

Ingredients

         Donuts

• 5 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups strawberries, cut into small dice

          Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 - 4 Tablespoons milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar)
• sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Lightly grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar. 
3. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. In a seperate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
5. Stir the dry mixture into the dry mixture until combined.
6. Gently fold in the strawberries.
7. Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or just use a spoon. Pipe (or spoon) into the pan only filling 1/2 of the way full.
8. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 - 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
9. Allow to cool before dipping in glaze.

       Make the glaze

1. In a small bowl whisk the powdered sugar with the milk (start with 2 tablespoons and add more to make it as thin or thick as you like) and vanilla until smooth.
2. Dipp each donut gently about half way into the glaze.
3. Garnish with with sprinkles and enjoy!

basic donut recipe adapted from bakerbettie.com

I had my first Scone at Starbucks. I just loved them, but i didn`t want to have to buy them all the time. So i just made them myself and they are so easy to make! I found the recipe for the "classic scones" in The Vintage Tea Party. I just added Macadamia nuts and topped it with a delicious caramel glaze. 

The difference between these scones and the one you usually buy at Starbucks is that the ones from Starbucks are crumblier and very sweet. The scones i made are very bread-like and if you would leave the Caramel away you could eat them with butter or jam whatever you prefer.

I love that they are not too sweet even with all the caramel on top. My first thought when I took the first bite was that they taste exactly like the ones from Starbucks, even though mine were bread-like and not crumbly.

I made two different types. One with just a little bit of caramel on top and the other ones covered with caramel (i prefer the ones covered with caramel :) ). You can see the two variants in the picture below.

I will definitely make them again! You can eat them for breakfast or actually whenever you want. Plus they make your kitchen smell great! :)

Makes about 8 scones. Scones stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Scones freeze well.

Ingredients

      Macadamia Scones

• 1/3 cup (75 g) butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 Tablespoons salt
• 1/2 cup (125 g) milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• a little milk to brush tops
• 1 cup (150 g) macadamia nuts

      Caramel Glaze

• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the scones: Preheat oven to 425F (220°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a big bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or use your hands. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Add the milk, egg and vanilla etxtract and gently work everything in with your hands until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. Knead the macadamia nuts into the dough. Form about eight small triangles with your hands. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and brush the tops of the scones with a little milk.
3. Bake for about 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Make the caramel glaze: Heat brown sugar and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is melted. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in milk and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Either drizzle over scones or cover the scones the with caramel. Allow caramel to cool and dry for at least an hour or overnight.

adapted from The Vintage Tea Party