Granola Bars

posted: Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

These granola bars can help you power through most anything. The recipe is very adaptive and invites you to play with it. For example, if you love almonds, swap out peanuts for almonds or any other nut.  A chocolate lover? Wait for the goop to cool and add in chocolate chips. Gluten free? Swap out the wheat germ for sesame seeds or flax meal. Vegan? Replace the butter with coconut or canola oil.

Ingredients [makes 8-10 sizable bars]

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cups wheat germ
  • 3/4 cups sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup peanuts or your choice of nuts

“Goop”

  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter [or, to make vegan,  coconut or canola oil]
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 8 oz. dried fruit

Special equipment

rimmed baking sheet, parchment or wax paper

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread rolled oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and nuts onto baking sheets and toast for 10 -12 minutes, stirring once. If you have [pre] roasted sunflower seeds or nuts, you don’t need to roast them again. If they’re also [pre] salted, cut back on the salt or leave it out altogether. Do not toast the fruit – it’ll just dry it out [or potentially burn].

Put brown sugar, honey, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring a few times. Add in the vanilla to the “goop.”

In a large bowl, combine the “goop,” toasted oat mixture, and dried fruit. Once combined, press into a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. If you do not have either, grease the pan with a little extra butter or oil.

Use your hands or a spatula to press the granola mix into the pan. This is an important step – you have to press hard! Cut the bars after they have cooled.

 

 

 

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