Granola Bar Your Way Food

GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
• Spread the oats and coconut evenly across a baking sheet.
• Toast oats and coconut in preheated oven until browned, about 10 minutes; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Mix honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and coconut; stir to coat. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until beginning to dry, about 15 minutes for crunchy granola bars, less if you like them chewy. Cool completely before cutting.

GINGERBREAD GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment and grease well with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the brown sugar with the oil, honey and molasses in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Toss together the oats, nuts, pepitas, dried cranberries, candied ginger, spices, wheat flour, wheat germ and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour the honey mixture on top and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Spray the bottom of a second baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and use it to press the granola down into the pan evenly. Sprinkle the holiday sprinkles on top.
• Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely, then remove from the baking sheet and cut into fourteen 1 1/2-by-4-inch bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months.

GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan with 1/3 cup honey and brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix in 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup each chopped nuts and dried fruit, and 2 tablespoons wheat germ. Press into a parchment-lined 8-inch-square pan and bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees F. Cool, then cut into bars.

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.

GRANOLA BARS - DESIGNED YOUR WAY

Steps:

• Combine the oats, rice cereal, coconut, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit selections in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine butter or margarine, honey and brown sugar in a large pot and stir over medium heat to melt the butter. When it begins to bubble, add dry ingredients and stir well. Continue stirring for about 7 minutes. Mixture may turn a golden brown but avoid over-browning by reducing heat.
• Press firmly into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. Let cool before cutting into bars. Bars can be wrapped individually in cling wrap.
• Suggestions for above combos:.
• Seeds: sesame, sunflower, pumpkin.
• Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts.
• Dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, apples.

GRANOLA BAR - YOUR WAY!

Steps:

• Choose ANY combination of the 4 cup dry ingredients - mix and match!
• Melt butter or peanut butter (can use combination of both).
• Add all other ingredients and mix.
• Line 9x13 pan or high edged cookie sheet with wax paper.
• Spray wax paper with Pam or cooking oil.
• Spread mixture evenly onto pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until light toasty brown.
• Cool and cut into preferred piece size.