I'm not a fan of granola bars (especially those store bought things) and the price of them are ridiculous! So here's a recipe which will yield more (dollar for dollar) and be much more fresh. Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup of oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup of oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan with parchment paper, allowing it to go up on the sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and any of the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray. Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, liquid sweeteners (honey and corn syrup) and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry and peanut butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan pressing firmly to ensure it is molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap or a spatula can help with this.)
Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. They will still seem soft and almost under baked when you press into the center of the pan. They will set once they are completely cooled. Cool the bars in the pan completely on a cooling rack. Once cooled use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. If the bars seem crumbly, chill the entire pan in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set them and make them able to be cut.
To store wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store the bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.
*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, coconut, walnuts, dried apples, raisins or even chocolate chips. Use your imagination! The possibilities are endless.
~ Chef ~
