Crunchy Baked Granola Bars Food

CRUNCHY BAKED GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and arrange oats and almonds on a bare baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly toasted. They shouldn't be browned, just slightly toasted for more flavor. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F (162 C).
• In the meantime, add flaxseed meal, desiccated coconut, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and stir. Set aside.
• Once oats and almonds are toasted, add to the mixing bowl along with chopped dates. Loosely stir to combine and set aside.
• Add almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and immediately add to the oats (see photo).
• Use a mixing spoon to mix thoroughly, ensuring that the dates and the almond butter mixture are evenly dispersed and coating all of the dry ingredients.
• Add the mixture to a parchment-lined 8x8-inch baking pan (size/number as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and spread into an even layer. Then top with another layer of parchment paper and press down with something flat - such as a measuring cup - to press into an even, uniform layer.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (162 C) for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Transfer to the freezer to speed cooling time.
• Once cooled, lift out of the pan and slice into desired number of bars. I went with 6 bars, but you could easily do 8 bars or 12 squares (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
• Optional: Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil in a small mixing bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler on the stovetop. Spoon a small amount over the bars in a drizzle pattern or cover half of the bar with chocolate. Top with sea salt or hemp seeds.
• Once bars have dried/cooled, store covered at room temperature for 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

NO BAKE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Stir oats, peanut butter, flaxseed, honey, cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds together in a bowl; press into a 9x11-inch baking dish, using the back of a spatula to press into a flat layer.
• Refrigerate mixture at least 1 hour.
• Cut into 12 bars and wrap each individually in plastic wrap for storage.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• To toast oats spread them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until just golden.
• Mix all ingredients.
• Firmly press into a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan lined with grease parchment paper.
• Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
• Cool completely and cut.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line an 18 by 12-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine the oats, oil, and salt in a large bowl and mix until the oats are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet (save the mixing bowl for use in step 3) and spread into an even layer. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until pale gold, about 30 minutes. Remove the oats and lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Place the nuts in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses. Place ¾ cup of the nuts in a small bowl and process the remaining nuts until finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the finely ground nuts to the bowl with the coarsely chopped nuts and set aside. Combine the honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon, if using, and set aside.
• Combine the oats, nuts, and honey mixture in a large bowl and stir with a large rubber spatula until the oats are evenly coated with the honey mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Wet the spatula with water and forcefully pack the mixture into a very flat, tight, even layer. Bake until golden, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool, in the baking sheet, on a wire rack for 10 minutes and cut into 2 by 3-inch bars with a chef's knife. Remove the foil from each bar before serving. Cool completely before wrapping and storing.