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Mornings. Am I right? Even though I consider myself a morning person, they are still taxing on everyone. Even me. As I was sipping on my coffee this morning while waiting for my daughter to finish getting her shoes, she asked me if I was going to eat breakfast. She couldn't understand why I hadn't eaten already and how I wasn't hungry.

Such is the way of a mom. Of course, I was hungry! But there's just no time until after I get her off to school. Once the mad dash getting her off to class is over, that's when I get to finally eat. And even then, I'll escape breakfast some days. That's why I make myself meal prep breakfast. If it's already 'ready' then I have no excuses to skip out on the most important meal of the day. This is the start of something great.

These Coconut Almond Crunch Breakfast Bars are a great way to start the day. And what better way to start any day than with cereal? That's why I added Great Grains cereal to these breakfast bars.

I chose the NEW Coconut Almond Crunch flavor of Great Grains for it's indulgent and sweet taste, but I love that it's made with real ingredients and taste just as good as they look and smell. The hearty crunch gave my breakfast bars the perfect crisp texture that I was looking for.

Each breakfast bar is loaded up with plenty of chocolate, cherries, oats and of course Great Grains to make each bite a powerhouse of flavors and textures that will wake you up and get you going!

It's the small things that make the biggest difference when it comes to eating. And while changing your cereal isn't going to change your life, it's a start! It's the start that matters the most.

My favorite thing to do is to make these bars once a week and then use them to meal prep my breakfast for the rest of the week. I usually pair these bars with fresh berries and plain Greek yogurt to make this a super easy grab-n-go breakfast. Just store it in the fridge and take one out to enjoy!

Right now Ibotta even has an amazing offer for Great Grains! And check out Pinterest for more Great Grain inspiration and ways to start your day off right.

Coconut Almond Crunch Breakfast Bars
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 12 • Size: About 1 Bar • Calories: 277 • Fat: 16 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 7 g • Sugar: 18 g • Sodium: 53 mg

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/4 C. Raw Nuts (I used mostly slivered almonds and pecans.)
1/4 C. Raw Seeds (I used mostly pumpkin seeds.)
1/3 C. Honey
1/4 C. Light Butter
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar/Sweetener Blend
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 C. Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch
1/2 C. Dried Cherries
1/3 C. Dark Chocolate Chunks

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with foil, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Line an 8x8 or 9x9 dish with foil and give it a light coat of non-stick spray; set aside.

Place the 1 1/2 C. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats, 1/4 C. Raw Nuts, and 1/4 C. Raw Seeds onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 3 minutes; stir and continue to bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until some of the oats and nuts are browning.

Once done, remove from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan melt together the 1/3 C. Honey, 1/4 C. Light Butter, 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar/Sweetener Blend, 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract, and 1/4 Tsp. Salt over medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved; set aside to cool slightly.

Add the 1 1/2 C. Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch, 1/2 C. Dried Cherries, and 1/3 C. Dark Chocolate Chunks to the large mixing bowl along with the toasted oats, nuts, and melted sugar mixture.

I found my Great Grains Almond Crunch Cereal in the cereal aisle at my local Walmart along with their other amazing new flavors.

Stir it all to combine.

NOTE: The chocolate will melt a bit, but that's okay! It will help to bind it all together.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared 8x8 or 9x9 dish and press press PRESS into the bottom of the dish.

PRO TIP: The more you press, the more solid your bars will be. I pretty much use all of my strength and weight to press. It takes me at least a minute to press this stuff down and compact it well enough. I like to use another piece of foil or part of a silicone mat to keep my hands clean when doing this.

Place the dish in the fridge to chill and harden up once the mixture is compacted well enough. Allow to chill for at least 2 hours.

Once nice and cold and firm, remove the dish from the fridge and use the foil to pop the whole thing out of the dish.

Cut into 12 equal bars and enjoy!

These can be stored in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium, Pescatarian, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free, Alcohol Free