Homemade Granola Bars

My children love granola bars. But if you look at the package, it's loaded with sugar. If you have a child that is allergic to nuts, this recipe is perfect and is also gluten free. I like making my own granola bars. It's not that difficult to make and much healthier. This recipe is not that sweet. The applesauce adds a nice chewy texture to the bar.

Make sure the bars have completely cooled down before you cut into squares.

Homemade Granola Bar, gluten and nut free

Homemade Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees oven. Line a 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper


2 cups         rolled oats

1/2 cup        packed brown sugar

2 tbsp.         unsalted butter

1/4 tsp.        salt

1/2 cup        unsweetened applesauce

1                  large egg

1/3 cup        pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup        chopped dates or raisins

2 tbsp.         chia seeds


Mix the oats, brown sugar, butter and salt until the butter is evenly blended. Sitr together the applesauce and egg. Add to the oat mixture along with the pumpkin seeds, dried fruit and chia seeds; stir until mixture is moistened.

Spread and press mixture into your 8 x 8 inch parchment lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

A friend of mine shared her family's pound cake recipe with me which I love to make. She brings this cake in to work to share with us and on special occasions. This is where simple just tastes so good. Only a few ingredients and you have such a moist, buttery cake. She uses almond extract which gives a nice almond taste. If that's not your thing, you can use a lemon extract to substitute. That's why I love baking. I always like to tweak recipes to how I like it.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

1/2 lb butter (at room temperature)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp almond extract or you can use vanilla or lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Grease an 8 inch tube cake pan

Cream butter well. Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, mixing well. Then add eggs, one at a time. Then add flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Almond flavoring comes last.

Pour into your prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

This simple and decadent recipe will be a hit a your next party. I once served this at my child's birthday party and the adults ate all of them! When the kids came up from playing, there was nothing left! Thank God for the birthday cake! These little morsels have a chocolate chip cookie base which adds a little oomph to the dessert.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

1 pkg.          chocolate chip cookie dough
2 pkgs.        cream cheese 8 oz ea. at room temperature
1 can           sweetened condensed milk
2 large         eggs
2 tsp            vanilla extract
1 can            cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Paper line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. Remove from oven.

Beat the cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the cups and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool. Top with cherry topping.                

Yield: 24 cupcakes