Banana Pecan Granola Bars Food

EASY NO-BAKE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Line a 9-inch square baker with two strips of criss-crossed parchment paper, cut to fit neatly against the base and up the sides. The parchment paper will make it easy for you to slice the bars later.
• Place the oats in a large mixing bowl**. Add the cinnamon and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Now we'll blitz the mix-ins briefly in the food processor or blender (or, you can chop them by hand). Add any large nuts (like almonds or pecans) first and blitz for a few seconds. Then add the rest and run the machine for a few more seconds, until the ingredients are all broken up into pieces smaller than your pinky nail. Pour the mix-ins into the bowl of oats.
• In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the nut butter. Top with ½ cup honey and the vanilla extract. Stir until well blended. If you must, you can gently warm the liquid mixture on the stovetop or in the microwave, but make sure it's close to room temperature before you pour it into the dry mixture (this is especially important if using chocolate, since it will melt).
• Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a big spoon to mix them together until the two are evenly combined and no dry oats remain. This takes some arm muscles, but you can do it! If the mixture was easy to mix together, that's a sign that you need to add some more oats-sprinkle in more oats until you can't incorporate any more.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared square baker. Use your spoon to arrange the mixture fairly evenly in the baker, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a short, sturdy drinking glass) to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible.
• Cover the baker and refrigerate for at least one hour, or preferably overnight. (The oats need time to soak up some of the moisture so they aren't sticky.) When you're ready to slice, lift the bars out of the baker by grabbing both pieces of parchment paper on opposite corners. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into 4 even columns and 4 even rows.
• Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap or parchment paper (if you store them all together, they will stick to one another). Bars keep well for several days at room temperature, a couple of weeks in the fridge, or several months in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for best flavor.

BANANA PECAN GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175°C Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, pecan nuts, sesame seeds and coconut flakes. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until well and evenly mixed. Make sure the dried fruit do not stick together in big batches.
• In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
• Spread the batter evenly onto the baking sheet, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch high.
• Alternatively, use a large cookie cutter and press spoonfuls of the batter into it. Remove cookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. The granola bars tend to get brown at the bottom first. Make sure not to burn them. Let cool completely, store in airtight container and keep in the fridge.

CINNAMON BERRY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 18 x 25cm tin. Mix the oats, seeds and nuts in a roasting tin, then put in the oven for 5-10 mins to toast.
• Meanwhile, warm the butter, honey and sugar in a pan, stirring until butter is melted. Add the oat mix, cinnamon and dried fruit, then mix until all the oats are well coated. Tip into the tin, press down lightly, then bake for 30 mins. Cool in tin, then cut into 12 bars.

MELTAWAY BANANA BARS WITH PECANS

Steps:

• You will be layering the ingredients on top of each other.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• spray a 13 x 9 cake pan. Best if sprayed, greasing does not work well for this recipe.
• In a small saucepan combine brown sugar and 1/2 stick butter. Heat till melted. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the brown sugar mixture. then cool so you can touch it. It will be a bit crumbly when cool.
• First layer-Pour half the dry yellow cake mix in the pan and spread out an even layer.
• Second Layer- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the cake mix. It will not completely cover every inch so don't worry.
• Third Layer- Layer 1/2 banana slices over the brown sugar mixture. Do not let bananas touch each other.(This is important so the ingredients above the bananas has space to seep through them.).
• Fourth Layer- Pour the remainder of the dry yellow cake mix over the bananas,.
• Fifth Layer- Add the remainder of your bananas on top of the yellow cake mix. Again, not letting the banana slices touch each other.
• Sixth Layer- Sprinkle the remainder of pecans on top.
• Melt the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter.
• Pour butter back and forth over the cake mix and pecans and bananas. It will not completely cover every inch. Don't worry.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting into squares. They will be a little crumbly but will cut nicely when cooled.
• Serve in a bowl with butter pecan ice cream on top for a dessert, or serve them just by themselves with a glass a milk.