We buy so many granola bars in this house...I don't even really like store bought granola bars, but they are an easy and quick snack. It was definitely time to try and make them.
I adapted this recipe a little to use what I had on hand. They turned out really yummy, this was actually my second go at this receipe (the first time around they got eaten so fastI didnt have time to document it!). One note is that they do need to stay in the fridge to stay nice and firm, or wrap individually to send off in lunches. We keep them in a container in the fridge and they disappear fast!
The complete recipe is found below
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| Chopping the fruit (Poppy is ready to measure!) |
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| Dry ingredients ready to go |
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| Stir, stir, stir |
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| Bring the brown sugar, butter and honey to a boil |
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| Clean up! |
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| Yum!! |
Ingredients
Servings:
24 bars, Cook Time: 10 Minutes, Chill Time: 2 Hours
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups quick-cooking/instant oats, such as Quaker Quick
1-Minute Oats (do not use regular old-fashioned oats)
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies (you could
also use corn flakes)
- 1/2 cup some kind of nuts (I just used whatever I had
on hand)
- 1/4 cup flax meal or wheat germ (this can be omitted if
you don’t have in hand – this time around I substituted with Flax seeds)
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped dates (or cranberries, and
other dried fruit)
Optional – you can add some mini
chocolate chips (pressed into the top at the very end) or try coconut flakes.
Instructions
1. Lightly spray a 11 x 15 inch baking pan(or whatever you have that is close to this size).
2. In a large pot, combine the butter,
brown sugar and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat,
stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and
the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the
heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine oats,
rice cereal, nuts, dried fruit, flax meal
4. Add the oats mixture to the pot and
fold with a rubber spatula until well combined.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared
pan and press down lightly with a rubber spatula to even out. Sprinkle the
miniature chocolate chips (or coconut) over top, adding more or less to suit
your taste, and press down firmly with the spatula so the chips stick. The
mixture should be tightly compacted in the pan.
6. Place the pan in the refrigerator
for 1-1/2 - 2 hours to cool.
7. After 2 hours transfer the uncut
bars to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into rectangles. Store the
bars in an airtight container in the fridge. If you have to stack them, be sure
to use parchment paper or foil in between the layers, otherwise they'll stick
together and fall apart.
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| Please note some almonds were harmed in the making of these granola bars...fortunately we had a clean up crew quick on the case! |
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ENJOY!!
