Granola Bars

This recipe for granola bars is a favorite of our family. It makes about 30 bars, that keep well on the counter or in the fridge for at least a week, and you can freeze them for months.

Made from basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, they are a bit sweet, a bit salty, and all yummy. Easy for a quick breakfast on the go, to pack in lunches, or for an afternoon snack. Try these out and you will not buy granola bars again!

This recipe is VERY flexible, it calls for 3 cups of oats, and 3 cups of other stuff. That other stuff could be anything you like! Peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, coconuts, raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, bran, chocolate chips, whatever! 

My go to mix is 2 cups trail mix and 1 cup shredded coconut.

Just a note - if you use chocolate chips, they tend to melt when you pour the hot syrup on so you get a chocolate peanut butter swirl thing going on, yummy but the chips melt in together. If you want them to stay as whole chips add them at the end, once you have spread the mixture in the pan just sprinkle them on top and gently push them down.

Then you make a syrup, but it is pretty flexible too. It's just made of nut butter, sugar, butter, milk, and a bit of vanilla. I usually use peanut butter, but you could use almond butter, cashew butter, or even nut-free peanut butter substitute. I have made it with white sugar, brown sugar, and agave, but any sugar substitute would probably work. And any milk too, dairy or dairy-free. Butter or margarine, or probably even a coconut oil or other fat.

In a medium saucepan, mix the syrup ingredients together and slowly heat to a boil.

It is important to go slow with the heat or you might scorch the milk and burn the sugar...like say if your toddler has to use the bathroom and you get pulled away from the stove to go help her, well,  you may come back and find some dark spots in the syrup, that's the burnt bits, but whatever, whisk them in and if they are small you won't even tell in the end...

Just keep whisking!

Boil this for about 5-7 minutes. The longer you boil it, the firmer your bars will be in the end. If you want them to stay soft and chewy, boil 5 minutes. If you want them firm and drier, boil 7 minutes. Take some time to properly lick all the spoons...

Remove the syrup from the heat and add in the vanilla. Whisk this is, it may froth up a bit as the alcohol burns off, don't be alarmed!

Then carefully pour this molten syrup over the dry ingredients, remember this is boiling hot syrup so be careful! Mix it all together, and put it into a pan. I use a 9 x 13 jelly roll pan, it is just a cookie sheet with sides, but use whatever you have.

Smooth it all out and pack it down.

Once it is cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

Granola Bars

3 cups oats

3 cups other stuff (nuts, seeds, dried fruit)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a saucepan heat syrup ingredients. Boil for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat, add in vanilla.

Pour syrup over dry ingredients. Mix well.

Smooth into pan and let cool.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

~Jess