I’ve been generally dissatisfied with the state of manufactured granola bars for some time now – I can’t say there is a single brand on the market that lives up to my expectations. While there are a few that are not too offensive, none of them give me everything I like in a granola bar.
What is it that I like you ask?
Well that changes from day to day, which is why it makes way more sense to make them myself. Generally though I like a low in sugar, high in dried fruit and nuts with either rolled oats or some variety of puffed wheat. I’m also one of those people who generally always has the makings of some kind granola bars on hand: nuts, dried fruit, rolled oats, honey, almond butter, chocolate chips, flax seed… you get the point.
I made these granola bars on Sunday and they took me a 10 minutes to get into the oven. They were so fast that within 45 minutes of conceiving the idea, I was happily sitting on my couch with a cup of chai tea and one of these bars still a little warm from the oven. Apart from the usual satisfaction I got from the taste, smell and texture they also supported my otherwise unrealized new years resolution: to significantly limit my muffin in take.
It was a win-win all around.
Try them. They rock!
I will definitely be making these on a regular basis.
Granola Bars – makes approximately 12 bars
This recipe is just a guide line, feel free to add or subtract ingredients to your liking. Also, if you like a sweeter granola bar I would suggest adding another 1/2 cup honey or corn syrup as these bars are not too sweet which is just the way I like them. I would also recommend adding some ground flax seed if you have some on hand.
5 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried dates, chopped
1/2 cups dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1/2 – 3/4 cup almond butter (I used 1/2 cup as that was all I had on hand but felt they could have benefited from a bit more)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Spray a 11×7 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 f.
In a large bowl combine oats, dates, cranberries, apricots. almonds and cashews and set aside.
Combine almond butter, honey, corn syrup and butter in a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan and heat just until melted making sure the ingredients are whisked together well.Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Press the Granola Bar mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. This yields a crunchy on top and still semi soft in the middle bar, you can bake for a bit longer if a completely crunchy bar is to your liking.
Allow the granola bars to cool for 30 minutes before cutting.
There is nothing like a hearty and wholesome granola bar. I agree with you…I read the ingredients on some of the packaged ones and don’t know what they actually are! Scary. But I think that is the state of most prepackaged foods now.
Great recipe! I am always on the lookout for a good granola bar recipe. One thing I do is mix in an egg white so they stick together well and don’t get too crumbly. Thanks!
Great pics, by the way!
Thanks Michelle! I decided to skip the addition of an egg this time around but I think I will probably add it next time as they were a little bit crumbly.
You’re welcome! I did find that worked to help them hold together better, but I just use the white. If you use the yolk also, it makes it more cakey, which may be good depending on what you like! Thanks again for the post, I am always trying to find good, healthy snacks for the family.