Homemade Granola Bars with Chocolate, Cranberries, and Pistachios

I had never made granola bars before today, but these are definitely going to become a regular in our house. I'm about to head off to Oregon for a white-water rafting trip and I figured homemade granola bars would be the perfect snack to bring along. However they're so delicious, I'll be surprised if they make it past the airplane door. Packed with cranberries, pistachios, and chocolate, they're downright addictive as well as filling. I think they are going to become my go-to weekday breakfast. They're easy to make and you can swap the cranberries and pistachios out for your favorite fruit and nut combinations.

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO GRANOLA BARS

Yields 24 bars

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped chocolate (milk or dark)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 stick of butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 13" x 9" baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Stir the oats, pistachios, cranberries, and chocolate together in a large bowl and set aside.
Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and honey together. Once the mixture becomes light and fluffy, beat the egg and vanilla into it.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Slowly beat the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until they're just combined. Then stir in the oat mixture slowly and thoroughly.

Spread the batter evenly throughout the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and then slice into bars.