Granola Bars - Anyone have a "clean" way of making them?

Hi, I did a google search for "clean granola bars recipe" and the first two results were an unbaked and a baked option.

These are sweetened with maple syrup and have a lovely soft, chewy texture. (you could add your own seeds/nuts combos)!

MAKES 24
25g flaked almonds
40g no-soak dried apricots
40g dried cranberries
40g sultanas
75g unsweetened puffed rice cereal
40g desiccated coconut
150ml maple syrup
400ml apple juice (preferably the
cloudy type)
125g porridge oats

82 calories per piece

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Line a 20 x 30cm
brownie tin with baking parchment. Scatter the almonds over a
baking tray and bake in the oven for 5—6 minutes or until lightly
toasted, then tip them into a large mixing bowl. Cut the apricots into
small pieces and add them to the bowl along with the cranberries,
sultanas, rice cereal and coconut.

Put the maple syrup and apple juice in a large saucepan and warm
over a low heat, stirring once or twice. Add the oats and bring to a
gentle simmer, stirring. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly
until the oats become thick and porridgy - keep a close eye on it as
the mixture does get very sticky. Remove the pan from the heat and
stir in all the other ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Make sure you grease the baking parchment before adding the mixture
otherwise it will stick!

I usually bake mine for about 35mins and then check, as it seems to bake really quick.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and flatten the surface with
a spatula to press everything down well. Pop into the preheated oven
and bake for*40—45 minutes until the mixture is golden brown and
the surface is crisp. Take out of the oven and press once more with
a spatula — this will make the bites easier to cut later. Leave to cool
in the tin for about 30 minutes before cutting into small squares
with a sharp knife.

Transfer to a board and lift the squares off the lining paper. Store in
an airtight container lined with baking parchment for up to 5 days.

MAKES 24
25g flaked almonds
40g no-soak dried apricots
40g dried cranberries
40g sultanas
75g unsweetened puffed rice cereal
40g desiccated coconut
150ml maple syrup
400ml apple juice (preferably the
cloudy type)
125g porridge oats

82 calories per piece

Whenever I make oat bars I just blend together raisins, walnuts and porridge oats. Makes them stick together if you do it in a food processor. I use the recipes from the Chocolate Covered Katie website which is a dessert blog but healthy versions!

This recipe doesn't use any honey or butter as a binder - just the dried fruit processed that helps them to stick together.

150g chopped nuts
150g chopped dried fruit
20g shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbs water

Process all ingredients in a food processor, adding enough water to make it combine, but not too much to make it gluggy. Press into a pan (really press hard) and put in the refrigerator or freezer to chill for at least an hour.

http://cookathome.info/raw-energy-bar/

Dates, cut up fine and simmered with a little water, will make a sticky, sweet binding liquid!

Yah I Mix them up in a bowl on my counter not on the floor...keeps em clean that way.

Make sure you wash your hands too!