Granola Balls

Just recently I posted about making home-made granola bars for the first time. My husband absolutely loved them, but I wasn't convinced that those were the "best of the best". So what did I do? Try again! I really felt like these were much better than the first trial but always can still use some improvements. I was actually making granola bars and a little corner piece fell off while I was pulling them out of the pan. Instead of throwing it away or eating it, I just rolled it up into a little ball and threw it on the cooling rack with the other bars. What I now know is that that is a fantastic idea and the granola actually holds together much easier than in the bar form! Also, when I don't want an entire granola bar, I can just take a few of these little guys!

See how cute these are!? They are bite-sized and so easy to just snack on (and healthy, too).

One main difference I made with these versus my previous granola recipe is that I used crunched up Total Cereal instead of the old-fashioned oats.

I wasn't a huge fan of the taste of the oats so I thought this would be a great idea since I have about 50 little boxes of Total and Cheerios cereal lying around the house. Oh the joys of being a health coach. ;) Soon I will figure out something fun to make with the cheerios, most likely for the 4th of July weekend!!

Edit: I asked my husband what he though of the new granola bars and he actually likes the first one's better. I think they had too much of an overwhelming honey taste so I might substitute some of that out but still go back to the oats instead of Total cereal.

Granola Balls
Recipe loosely adapted from: Big City Cooking

3 cups Total cereal, finely chopped
1.5 cup rice krispies
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 mashed banana
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup candy pieces (we chose Reeses Pieces)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients except last three (candy, raisins and nuts) in large mixing bowl until well blended. Add in candy, raisins and nuts and mix well. Press the granola into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden-brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and pull granola out of pan and roll into quarter-sized balls. Place on cooling rack. For ease of convenience, I would suggest putting 5-7 balls in a small ziplock baggie and keeping in the fridge to take to lunch with you or for an everyday snack.