I have recently been trying to make my own foods more. I’ve always cooked dinner and the occasional baked goods, but after spending too long looking at the ingredients on granola bar boxes at the grocery store, I decided enough was enough. So I started making my own granola bars. And wow, are these some granola bars. They aren’t even in the same league as pre-packaged granola bars. You get to decide what you want in them and the options are endless. This is my personal favorite combination of nuts/fruit so far. I’ve been making them every week for about 2 months now, and we haven’t gotten sick of them at all.
I adapted the recipe slightly from this one from Smitten Kitchen. They are incredibly easy to make, easy to adapt, and really really easy to eat them all in a couple of days. An 8×8 pan makes 12 granola bars (you can probably get more out of it, but I like a good, substantial bar). They are the perfect snack to bring to school, and were a huge help at the end of the semester – make a pan for the week and you’re guaranteed a tasty treat every day.
It’s also a very versatile recipe. As long as the fruits/nuts equal 2-3 cups total, you can play with any number of combinations. Listed below is my favorite so far. I’ve also used honey and maple syrup as the liquid sweetener with equally tasty results. They can be a bit crumbly, so make sure you pat them in the pan with a fork really well, let them cool completely in the pan, and then place in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes. After that they should be fine to cut and store at room temperature.
Granola Bars
1 2/3 c quick rolled oats
1/3 c oats processed to a powder
2/3 c sugar
¼ tsp salt
A few dashes cinnamon
1 c dried cherries
1 c dark chocolate mini-chunks
1/3 c walnuts
1/3 c roasted, salted pepitas
1/3 c sesame/flax seeds (equal amounts each)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
¼ c honey, plus 2 tbsp
1 tbsp vanilla
1tbsp water
Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8x2-baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix with a fork till consistent. Spread in the pan, and press the mixture down firmly with a fork so it’s even in the pan and in all the corners.
Cook for 30-40 minutes, till brown around the edges. Cool in the pan on a baking rack. When cool, remove them using the parchment paper. If crumbly, place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them set. Cut using a serrated or bench knife.
Makes about 12 bars
