homemade granola bars

by babhoyersh on September 22, 2011

Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars have been on my list of snacks to make since August. I have over 50 lbs. of old-fashioned oats in the pantry after finding them at the grocery outlet for $.59/lb. When my teenager asked for more granola bars to bring to school (they can eat a small breakfast in first block at high school), I decided to use what I have to make the bars rather than buy them.

Granola Bars

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup rice krispies

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup organic sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Method

If you’re soaking the oats, soak them overnight in yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk.

Put all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until completely combined with no loose bits of anything in the bottom of the bowl.

Press the batter into an 8 x 8 glass pan or 9 x 13 glass pan, heavily greased with butter or sprayed with oil. The smaller pan will create a thicker, more chewy bar. You may want to put a layer of parchment paper in the bottom to be absolutely sure the bars will not stick to the pan.

Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes. For the thinner bars, start checking them after 15 minutes to prevent too much browning.

Cool the bars for 10 minutes, and then lightly draw lines in the pans. After the bars are completely cooled, cut the bars into individual bars.

Notes

You can make healthy granola bars by soaking the oats over night and using healthier ingredients. I prefer to use 1/4 cup of sugar to cut the sweetness. Other cereals can be substituted for the rice krispies, and other healthy options can be used in place of the chocolate chips like dried fruit and nuts.

This time I sprayed the pan heavily with oil, and the bars stuck a bit, especially around the sides. I think next time, I’ll put in a layer of parchment paper first to prevent sticking. Getting the bars out of the pan was the worst part of the process.

 

Because I love meeting new people and sharing, this post is linked to:

Simple Lives Strut Your Stuff, and Turning the Tables Thursday

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Janice September 22, 2011 at 10:28 pm

I haven’t made granola or granola bars in ages. Thanks for the inspiration!
I would love it if you would link this up to my carnival Family Time Tuesday

Janice
Janice recently posted..Wonka Chocolate Review and Delicious Giveaway

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Julia in West Des Moines, IA September 23, 2011 at 5:36 pm

Looks yummy!
Julia in West Des Moines, IA recently posted..Julia’s frugal picks for the weekend of Sept. 23 through 25

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Denise September 25, 2011 at 11:18 pm

I like to soak my grains when I can. How much yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk did you use?

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babhoyersh September 27, 2011 at 6:18 am

I don’t have an exact amount written in my notes in my cookbook. The only note I have says 6 c. oats to 4 c. kefir/buttermilk so I must have doubled the recipe before soaking it. I would try a 2:1 ration oats to soaking medium and see how it goes. I think you only need enough kefir or buttermilk to make the oats soft, not liquidy. (Is that a word?)

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