High Engery Granola Bars (Lactose Free)

After being diagnosed Lactose Intolerant, one thing I had trouble finding was granola bars.  I was in the grocery store one day, and literally picked up every single box of granola bar.  Each on stated: Contains Milk.  My enemy.  I gave up, and started scouring the internet for a recipe.  Most of them used butter, hence the contain milk, or had chocolate chips.  I finally stumbled upon one that used maple syrup to bond everything together.  The recipe was a bit different than mine, it contained a lot of things I don't like.  I used it as a base, and built off of it.  This one is definitely my favorite, packed with flavors and nutrition, it's great to have to keep your energy up!

Ingredients:
(1) 8oz. bag almonds*
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1.5 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried blueberries
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275. Lightly spray 9" X9" pan with cooking spray.

Grind almonds* into a coarse meal, then add to a bowl.  *At Walmart they sell bags of pre-sliced Almonds in the baking aisle.  I used these, and they worked great and saved me the trouble of slicing them myself. I just cut them into bit sized pieces, I like a bit of a crunch.

Next, add your sunflower seeds.  You can de-shell them yourself, or buy them already de-shelled like these.  I've done it both ways.  This below, is way easier!

Add sunflower seeds to almond mixture in bowl. Mix with a spoon.  

Continue adding each ingredient, one at a time.  Each time a new ingredient is added, mix well with a spoon, so everything is mixed well.  Be sure to save the syrup for last.

 Press mixture into pan firmly. This is important!  I used both a spatula, and the back of my wooden spoon to press into the pan.  Press for a few minutes, until you think it's really packed in there.  It is important to firmly pack the mix and cool completely before cutting or the bars will be a yummy crumble instead!

 Bake 1 hour.

Cool COMPLETELY (a couple hours).  Then slice into bars. 

Enjoy!!!! :)