Simple & Nutritious: Homemade Granola Bars

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Homemade Granola Bars - MOMables.comI love a good granola bar.  My kids love them too.  They make for an easy breakfast on the run, snack or filling addition to the lunchbox.

While store-bought granola bars might be convenient, paying nearly $4 for 6 individually wrapped organic bars can get quite expensive!  Unlike the packaged kind, these are fresh, healthy and made with the wholesome ingredients you choose.

These granola bars are soft, without being cookie like and don’t crumble like so many homemade bars do.  The ingredient list allows for flexibility (don’t we all love that) and they can truly be customized to you and your child’s preferences.

 

Dried fruits, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, even the peanut butter can be swapped for sunflower butter.  I especially love that many of these ingredients are pantry staples, so it’s quick to throw them together in a pinch.

homemade granola bars

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Homemade Granola Bars

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews
  • Author: MOMables
  • Cuisine: Snacks
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup rice crispies
  • 1/2 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
  • 1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats processed til finely ground in a food processor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 2 cups dried fruit, nuts or chocolate chips (mix it up, but total should be roughly 2 cups)
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan lining with parchment paper or using a nonstick spray.
  2. Stir together dry ingredients, including fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together vanilla, melted butter, liquid sweetener and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, including peanut butter (if using), combine until crumbly.
  3. Spread into the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. These will still be soft when they come out of the oven, almost like they are under baked. Keep the bars in pan until completely cool (this will help them mold, to avoid crumbling). Once cool, cut with serrated knife. If bars still seem crumbly, even after fully cooling, place them in fridge for 30 minutes to help them set.
  4. Wrap individually and store in air tight container.

 

One of our favorite combinations are dried cranberries and apricots, with dark chocolate chips and maple syrup for sweetener.  Just remember to keep measurements the same when swapping out some of the ‘add-ins’ and you have a never-ending variation of the beloved granola bar!

 

adapted from King Arthur Flour

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About Alison Bickel

Alison lives in the heart of the mid-west where, along with her husband, they raise their three boys. Whether it’s in the garden, the kitchen or tagging along on her boys’ latest adventure she looks for the simple beauty in everyday from behind her lens. On her blog, ‘this homemade life’ Alison shares tales of mothering, her passion for homemade food and obsession with farmer’s markets.

Category: All Snacks, Dietary Needs, Gluten Free, Granola Bars, Lunchbox, Lunchbox Ideas, Nut Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian