Make Apricot Granola Bars for a Healthy School Snack

As a kid I always loved the hustle and bustle of "going back to school." I really loved the activity of picking out my new lunch box, getting new clothes and the school supplies. My absolute favorite? There's nothing like opening a fresh notebook.

My mom's lunch box game was always stellar the first week of school. Looking back, those were, by far, my best school lunches. Granola bars weren't something she usually made (I was the weird kid with Arroz Con Pollo in my lunchbox), but I love the idea of making my future kids some healthy and awesome snacks.

I've attempted granola bars numerous times and have usually ended up with granola bar-failure. They tend to fall apart and most recipes that claim they do stick together call for corn syrup, which is something I don't think belongs in my healthy snack, let alone a kid's healthy snack.

A few tricks to having granola bars stick together? Press them firmly into the pan. And I'm talking really use your strength! Secondly, a trip to the refrigerator, post-baking, also assists them in binding. I love this particular combination of dried fruit, nuts and carob chips, but if you don't have them on hand, feel free to swap them out! Play.