Last week a girl from one of my yoga classes brought me Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Bars. They were as good as they sound! Since final exam week is over, I wanted to try making some. I didn’t have all the same ingredients, so I used what I already had in the kitchen. Here is my personal spin on the recipe…

Main ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Pick-and-choose ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. Pour flour, salt and baking soda over wet ingredients. Then add oats and any optional ingredients of your choice, stir once more.
4. Flatten the dough into a buttered or parchment lined 8×8 metal or glass dish.
5. Bake for about 25-28 minutes or until nice and golden brown on top.
6. Enjoy!