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Homemade Granola Bars
“Mykids will neverthrow tantrumsin public.” “Mydaughter will always wear matching outfits.” “Mychild will never eat processed junk food or suck down juice.”
You know all those lofty claimswe make before havingkids? Like a good friend of ours says, “I was the perfect parent until I had kids.” Too true.I am the mom whorips intothe box of fruit snacks in the middle of Target, who lets my daughtermix polka dots with plaids, who allows my son topee under the car in parking lot emergencies. I’m so sorry.
And don’t even get me started on those boxes of granola bars that are so easy to grab. Nutritious? No. Fast? Easy? Yes and yes. Oh, and they also helpwith those publicmeltdowns that were never supposed to happen.
Threeyearsago, I bought a bunch of juice on a great sale with coupons. The added bonus? Forevery four jugs of juice you bought, youreceivedone free box of granola bars! I normally don’t buy those super-sweet sawdusty rectangles, but free? Why not.
The following week, whenhunting around for an afternoon snack, Ipulled out one of those granola bars. As I ate it, I thought, “Why am I eating this? I don’t like it. It doesn’t taste good, and I will be hungry again in approximately 8 minutes.” I was eating it because it was free and fast. Those two things only get you so far, though. It was not filling or satisfying or… good.
Granola bars were officially added to my growing list of “Things I Will No Longer Buy in a Box.” To fill their place, I decided it was time to make my own. Shocking, I know. I have tried several different recipes, but finally settled ona variation of a recipe I ripped out of a magazine what feels like YEARS ago.
Thesebars areslightly sweet, super dense, and chock-full of good things. With a glass of milk, one square makes a filling, protein-packed snack I feel good about eating and feeding my family. We haven’t bought a box of granola bars in three years, and I haven’t missedthem one bit.
Making granola bars is very similar to making homemadegranola. Once you find the right ratio of fillers (dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.) to binders (honey, syrup, peanut butter, etc.), you can mix and match flavor combinations to your heart’s content. (You can also make our no-bake energy bites or homemade larabars for no-bake options.)
Try dried apricots, chopped almonds, dark chocolate, and shredded coconut. Or chopped cashews, mini chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. Or maybe dried mango, flaxseed meal, and coconut. Or…
Thick & Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen for 3 months.
4 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 3/4 c. all-purpose flour* 1/4-1/3 c. packed brown sugar 1 t. baking soda 1/2 c. butter, softened 1/4 c. water 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter 1/3 c. brown rice syrup or corn syrup 1/3 c. honey 2 t. vanilla extract 2 c. chocolate chips, dried fruit, seeds, and/or chopped nuts (check the bulk section at your local grocery store for inspiration!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper to line the pan bottom of the pan, leaving several inches hanging over each side to create a sling. Grease the parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl,combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, water, peanut butter, brown rice (or corn) syrup, honey, and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredientsand mix until well incorporated.
Press the mixture evenly into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes beforelifting thebars out of the pan with the parchment paper sling.
Lay on a cutting boardand then cut into 12 equal pieces.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a good allergy-friendly chocolate chip that actually tastes good, Enjoy Life is an excellent brand! Free of dairy, soy and gluten and no additional garbage preservatives.
While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.
About this method: According to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” While there are many granola recipes that include an egg white, I got this tip from the Big Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
Nut butter helps hold these bars together, and offers protein, healthy fat and fiber. You could use peanut butter, almond butter, or even pecan butter. For a nut-free option, sunflower butter will work.
Make sure that whichever granola recipe you use, it calls for some liquid, typically oil of some kind (I recommend olive oil for a subtle earthy, floral flavor, or melted unrefined coconut oil for subtly coconutty flavor). The liquid will help the chia seeds to gel, ensuring the granola sticks together.
“We carried Quaker's Chewy Bars and Oat Squares cereals until they were recalled back in December 2023. None of these items have returned to our store's shelves yet. We suggest reaching out to Quaker for additional information on when these products might be available again.”
The binder is what helps the base ingredients clump together into clusters. Traditionally this is usually a sugar syrup, but it's possible to use any ingredient that has the power to bind. Egg - Egg whites are a great binder for granola if you are trying to avoid sugar.
The recall affects certain varieties of Quaker cereals, such as Oatmeal Squares, Chewy granola bars, Cap'n Crunch products and more. The Quaker Oats Company issued a recall in late 2023 and has added more products to its recall list in 2024 due to a risk of contamination with salmonella.
The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.
They save well (wrap and freeze them for up to two months), are more affordable than store-bought bars, and don't contain the long list of unpronounceable ingredients. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a bakery while these granola bars bake. Ahhhh.
Fill the bowl up with water to completely cover the mixture – enough that you can stir to combine. This soaking process will help the oats and seeds digest better. After the oat/seed mixture has soaked 8-12 hours, add the rest of the ingredients and combine.
Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.
If so, the reason that your granola isn't clumpy already is because it was deliberately stirred and broken apart while it was baking, and it might be possible to make it re-clump! Try putting a scoop in the microwave and heating it in 30 second bursts on high. If it starts to get sticky, you're golden.
Most granola bars are snacks, and snacks should be filling enough to help keep you feeling satisfied until your next meal. A great way to boost the satiety of a snack is by making sure it's a good source of fiber. That's why Malkani recommends selecting a bar that has at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber.
The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.
Peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seed are all great options. Another great addition is dried fruit, which sweetens up your bar with naturally occurring sugars while providing fiber and vitamins—plus chewiness and binding.
There are other binding agents which are low in calories. You can try some hydrocolloids or modified starches. You can experiment with some nut butter (peanut butter), starches (tapioca, corn or potato starch), honey, gums (xanthan, guar), gluten free flours (sorghum flour), and gelatin.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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