I’ve always been intimidated by recipes for homemade granola bars. I was suspicious that they’d turn out hard. Sometimes they called for ingredients I don’t like. But the recipe below seems just right. It’s flexible. Any type of dried fruit or nut will do. It’s easy to halve the recipe, or double it, if you like. I admit my bars did not cut into perfect squares, but I was not deterred. They crumbled a bit, but were moist and chewy. It’s delightful on its own, or sprinkled over fresh fruit and plain yogurt
HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS
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- 2 cups quick rolled oats
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup almond flour or wheat germ
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9″ x 13″ pan with wax or parchment paper. Stir together the oats, brown sugar, almond flour, dried cranberries, apricots, nuts, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl, being sure to break up any clumps of sugar or dried fruit. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix the honey, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and lift the wax or parchment paper from the pan. Let the granola slab cool for 5 minutes before removing the paper and cutting into bars.
Cool completely before eating or wrapping.
GLUTEN FREE: Be sure to buy oats from a plant that does not process wheat or other gluten containing products. Do not use wheat germ.
Beansandyoga 