Making Treats With Your Kids ~ Granola Bites

Apparently I scared you all a little with my serious post yesterday - LOL!  If you've been a follower of my blog for a while, then you know that I like to throw a serious post in once in a while to shake things up!  I stand by my post, but I am sorry if it caught you off guard.  How about I go ahead and reward you with a little yumminess today?

A few months ago, Jessica from Muthering Heights asked me to guest post about kids helping in the kitchen.  I had a fun time having my son help me with this recipe and am glad I can share it with you today.  Enjoy!

Originally published at Muthering Heights on February 24, 2010:

I think it's obvious that I like chocolate.  I do like to make chocolate desserts (mainly because I like to eat desserts), but I don't always remember to involve my son in the fun.  It's a great experience to let your kids spend quality time with you in the kitchen!  I recently found a recipe in my No Bake Holiday Recipes cookbook that's very kid-friendly since it doesn't involve the oven or even the stove!  Just some measuring, mixing, and general mess-making by rolling cookies in your hands!!

Have your kids help with the measuring - good for practicing math concepts!

Stir it all up (kids LOVE to stir - LOL) and don't worry about a few spills - they clean up easily.

Roll the mixture into small balls and put on wax paper.  It's the messy part - fun for most kids, unless you're my son who is sort of a neat freak.  :)

That's all there is to it!  We did chill ours in the refrigerator to help them firm up.  Eat and enjoy!

This recipe is nice for kids of all ages.  Little ones can help make them and eat them for an after-school snack or dessert.  Older kids can make them all on their own and share with friends who come over.

Granola Bites

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (if you use all-natural it doesn't stick together very well)
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup granola cereal (I used my homemade Super Light Granola)
1 3/4 cups (11-oz pkg) peanut butter and milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips; mini chips would be good)

Line two baking sheets with waxed paper.  In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla; mix well.  Stir in the oats, cereal, and chips.  Mix until the cereal is evenly coated.  Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.  Let stand until firm.  Store in an airtight container.

I hope you get a chance to try this out!  Do you have a favorite recipe that you make with your kids?