secret recipe club: chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles

i've been a loyal reader of allison's for at least a year now. it was sweet tooth friday that caught me. each friday allison posts a sweet treat - cookies, cupcakes, ice cream and everything in between - and hosts others to link up their sweets.

 

and since i've been following allison for a while, i was surprised to see her blog, alli 'n sons, was my selection for this month's secret recipe club entry! and that meant i had a hard time choosing a recipe from her blog, especially because i already had a bunch bookmarked in my google reader. i managed to narrow the list down to two: chewy no bake granola bars and carrot and cinnamon waffles.

granola bars & waffles not your thing? check out other crave worthy treats from allison: vanilla donuts
caramel snack mix
beer batter pizza dough (this has been on my to make list for a while) & easy pizza sauce
dark chocolate & sea salt caramel ice cream
chocolate pepsi cupcakes
spicy chocolate chip cookies

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!

check out my previous secret recipe club posts below
cannoli
gingerbread muffins
double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies
butterscotch peach cake
whole wheat honey pancakes minted pineapple lime agua frescabreakfast tacos
simple almond sandwich cookies
roasted banana rum cake

buttermilk carrot cinnamon waffles
adapted from alli 'n sons
10 minutes plus cooking time, makes 8 waffles and serves four

these waffles are mildly spiced with cinnamon. if you're looking for a kick, double it.

2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons baking powder

1. beat the eggs until fluffy.
2. mix in the remaining ingredients until combined.
3. cook in your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

chewy no bake granola bars
adapted from alli 'n sons
10 minutes plus cooling time, makes 10 bars

the melted chocolate adhered to the granola bars in some places and didn't in others. so some granola bars the chocolate broke right off the top and others it stayed on. next time i'll sub whole chocolate chips and push them into the top while the mixture is still warm.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup oats
1/2 cup rice cereal
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate, melted, to drizzle over the top or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey. bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves, one to two minutes.
3. add the oats, rice cereal, cranberries, almonds, and white chocolate chips. mix to combine.
4. pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan and use a spatula to press evenly into the pan. drizzle with melted chocolate, if you like.
5. place the pan in the refrigerator until set, about 15 minutes. cut into squares or rectangles and store in an airtight container.