Granola Bars
I make these granola bars for the days that I don’t have time to comb my hair in the morning before running out the door. Or for the days that I just don’t want to comb my hair in the morning. So basically these granola bars are great for every day.
I find it hard to choose from the many granola recipe options out there. Some recipes make crumbly granola that works great with yogurt or fruit. Others are more cookie-like, some are crunchy, some are soft. I like this recipe because it makes bars or squares that stay together, but are still soft enough to pull apart and eat as crumbly bites. The granola in this recipe is sweet (using brown sugar, honey, and fruit). The sugar helps bind the granola into bars. If you want to reduce the sugar you can, but they will fall apart a bit more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
You can easily swap out different grains, nuts, fruit, or sweeteners to your liking. In this version I went with an almond, peanut, cherry combo. Keep the ratios similar to the recipe and swap in and out your favorite flavors.
I put this as a pantry meal because the ingredients are easy to keep on hand and will last in the cupboard for an extended period of time. Its also easy to make substitutions if you don’t have everything on hand.
Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanuts
- 3/4 cup almonds (not roasted, unsalted whole almonds)
- 2 cups of oats (use the “old fashioned” oats, not the quick oats)
- 3/4 cup wheat germ
- 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (substitute a different type of oil)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cup dried fruit (I like cherries or raisins, but you can use whatever you want. If you use large pieces of fruit chop them into small pieces.)
Directions
- Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400.
- Roughly chop or pulse the nuts (1 cup peanuts and 3/4 almonds) in a food processor or nut chopper. You want a rough chop, not powder so don’t over do it.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped nuts with 2 cups oats, 3/4 cup wheat germ, 3/4 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil until just lightly coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spread the mixture evenly across the pan.
- Toast in the oven at 400 for about 10-12 minutes. Stir several times so it doesn’t burn.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Cook on a low temperature until the butter turns a golden brown. About 10-15 minutes. Be careful to not burn it – keep the temperature on low or medium low and stir often.
- After browning the butter, add 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Cook on medium low in the saucepan, whisking until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce becomes smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
- Line the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. (The paper will crinkle up in the corner – that’s fine.) I use a 9 x 13 baking dish, but it doesn’t matter if you use a larger or smaller dish. Your granola will either be thicker or thinner.
- After the nuts and oats have toasted, remove them from the oven and add back to the large bowl. Stir in the sugar/honey mixture along with 1 and 1/4 cup of dried fruits. You’ll want to do this while the sugar mixture is still warm.
- Add the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Using a spoon, spatula, or your fingers press the granola firmly in the pan. (You want to be firm enough so that the bars don’t fall apart when you cut them.)
- Wait at least 2-3 hours for the granola to cool before cutting.
I usually cut the granola into squares or small bites and wrap in saran wrap or put into baggies for easy transport. Cover the dish (either with a Tupperware lid, saran wrap, or foil), and it will stay fresh on the counter for a few days.
Some other flavor ideas are to use Macadamia nuts, dried pineapple and coconut flakes. Or use cranberries and walnuts. I’ve swapped different sweeteners such as maple syrup or agave in place of the honey and brown sugar. Use what you have on hand or play around with different flavor combinations.
Use the Extra Ingredients
Save the extra oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruits in air tight containers or bags to keep them fresh. Use the ingredients for your next batch of granola bars or mix into cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, or on top of salads.
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