Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars Food

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
• Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA (CRUNCHY CLUSTERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix oats with almonds.
• In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar (if using), vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg until well combined. Pour over oat/almond mixture. Stir well to combine.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, pressing down so it's an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Rotate the baking sheet and bake the granola for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add coconut chips (or shredded coconut) over top and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking up into clusters. The more you handle, the smaller the pieces you will have. If desired, stir in optional granola add-ins to taste. Serve and enjoy!

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS (VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• *Note: See step-by-step photos above!
• Preheat the oven to 338°F/170°C (fan 302°F/150°C). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
• Add the oats, almonds, and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped, then transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
• Chop the dried goji berries and cranberries with a sharp knife. Then add to the oat nut mixture along with the chia seeds, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a saucepan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the nut butter (if using), salt, and vanilla extract to combine. Then pour it over the dry ingredients and mix everything well together. (If it's a bit too dry, you can add 1 or 2 tbsp of hot water).
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly into an even layer, using the bottom of another square baking dish (see photo above) or measuring cup or bowl. The firmer you press, the better the bars will stick together!
• Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven (or refrigerate until set for a no-bake option). If the top gets too brown during baking, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Then lift out of the baking pan using the parchment overhang and slice into bars using a sharp knife. (You can also cut the bars before chilling if that's easier for you. Just keep in mind that they get harder as they cool).
• Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

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.

CRUNCHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
• Combine the oats, coconut, dried fruit, nuts, flour, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
• Gently warm the butter and coconut oil in a medium saucepan over low heat to melt. Stir in honey and vanilla extract.
• Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture, and stir to combine thoroughly.
• Press the mixture firmly into the lined baking pan using a small piece of parchment paper.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
• Cool completely, then cut into bars. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a bowl, toss the oats with the canola oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don't burn. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice and molasses. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined. Stir in the vanilla.Toss together the toasted oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, pecans and almonds. Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky!Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter, or line pan with foil and grease foil) and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut pieces with a sharp knife and remove from the pan. OPTIONALDip the cooled granola bars straight into the melted chocolate so that the top is plain and the bottom is chocolate-covered. Set on parchment until set, sticking in the fridge to hasten this along if necessary.Yum yum!

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Mix together dry ingredients. Drizzle liquids on top of oats and mix until the oats are covered and moist. With a large spatula, press granola firmly into a 17x11 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 1 hour before cutting and removing from pan.
• Don't use another size pan. The ingredients are carefully measured and altering pan size will alter how these turn out. Be sure to press very firmly on the granola mixture, it should be really flat.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA WITH BERRIES & CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5/fan oven 170C. Halve some of the pecans, leave some whole. Mix with peanuts, oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. In a jug, measure the oil and pour into the mixture, then measure the honey - it will slide out easily. Stir together with a fork to break up any big clumps of oats.
• Pour on to a large baking tray with sides, preferably non-stick, in a thin layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring well at least twice and bringing the mixture in from the edges, until it is golden. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.
• Mix in the berries and cherries and serve with plenty of chilled milk.
• Store for up to 1 month in airtight container.

CRUNCHY, GOOD-FOR-YOU GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line and 8- or 9-inch square pan with a long sheet of parchment paper (so ends extend over edges of pan).
• 2. Mix the puffed kamut, oats, Grape-Nuts, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• 3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the almond butter, brown rice syrup, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until sugar has melted and the almond butter has thinned.
• 4. Pour the liquid mixture on top of the dry ingredients, mixing well. When everything is equally coated, spread the mixture into the pan. Press the mixture down with the bottom of a measuring cup or the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
• 5. When you remove the pan from the oven, again use the back of a wooden spoon to press the bars flat. Allow to cool completely before touching them again.
• 6. When totally cooled and hard, lift the ends of the parchment and put onto a cutting board and cut into bars or squares. I wrapped the individual bars in foil and stored them in a ziploc bag at room temperature.

RECIPE HACK: NATURE VALLEY OATS 'N HONEY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat. Line an 8-by-8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of extra parchment on each side to form a sling.
• Mix together the oats, oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Spread the oat mixture out on the prepped half-sheet pan and toast, stirring halfway through, for about 15-20 minutes, or until the oats are a light golden brown.
• While the oats toast, add the honey and brown sugar to a small saucepan set over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes or until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add the vanilla.
• Add the cereal, cornmeal, baking soda, and toasted oat mixture to the mixing bowl used earlier. Mix gently but thoroughly, and then add the honey and brown sugar syrup and mix until a cohesive, slightly sticky mass forms.
• Turn the oats mixture out into the prepped square pan, spread it out as evenly as possible, and then use a lightly greased offset spatula or flat-bottomed measuring cup to tamp down the oat mixture until very firmly packed.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and cook for 38-45 minutes, or until the bars are a deep golden brown.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan (don't wait longer or they will shatter when cut into bars), and then use the sling to carefully remove the granola bars slab to a cutting board. Trim away the rounded edges of the granola bar slab with a very sharp chef's knife, then cut the bars into eight rectangular bars. Allow to cool completely, and then enjoy or store in an airtight container.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and reserve.
• Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave proof glass measuring cup or bowl. Place in microwave on high for 5 minutes and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave, add vanilla extract and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, and brown sugar syrup mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto cookie sheets and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and crunchy.
• When the mixture comes out of the oven, it is still very pliable. You may choose to add in dried fruit as a finishing touch at this time. When granola has cooled completely, store in an airtight container.

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.

HOMEMADE CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Add honey, coconut oil, and vanilla, stirring until well combined.
• Press mixture down into a parchment paper-lined 9x13 pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove pan from oven, and press the bars down with another piece of parchment paper so that they stay nice and tight while cooling.
• After 15 minutes, remove the bars from the pan to cool for a few more minutes.
• Cut them into 12 bars or break into snack-sized bites.
• Allow approximately 2 hours for the bars to become crunchy.

HOMEMADE CRUNCHY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, and line a large rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper. (You'll be so glad you did.)
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan with the honey. When fully combined, add vanilla.
• Mix together all dry ingredients except the cranberries and carob chips - oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
• Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix well, looking for dry pockets throughout the mixture!
• For regular version, spread the entire mixture in the cookie sheet. I made it pretty tight so it would stick together well. Alternatively, you can reserve half the mixture, add in the cranberries and carob chips, then place on the other half of the cookie sheet or on another sheet altogether.
• Cook for 75 minutes on 250. Remove from oven and let it cool until partially hard - around 5 minutes. Then cut or score the granola to make it easier to break apart when it is completely cool. Enjoy!

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.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips, coconut, sunflowers, peanuts, raisins, wheat germ, and sesame seeds.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the marshmallows, peanut butter, butter, corn syrup and vanilla.
• Microwave the marshmallow mixture at 70% power for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until well-blended.
• Quicky stir the dry ingredients in to the marshmallow mixture. You'll have to work quickly as the mix will get gooey fast.
• Spread into a greased 13-in. X 9-in. X 2-in. baking pan. To flatten the granola bars, I spray the BOTTOM of a second baking pan with cooking spray, nest this second pan on top of the pan with the mix and press down hard.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes.
• Cool and cut into 24 bars.

CRUNCHY GRANOLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine brown sugar and water in a 4 cup microwave proof cup.
• Microwave on high 5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.
• Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and salt.
• In large mixing bowl, mix oats, nuts, and brown sugar mixture.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Spread onto cookie sheets and bake 45 minutes-1 hour until golden brown.
• When granola has cooled completely, add fruits if you wish and store in airtight container.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F (160C).
• Grease baking sheet well. (Or use parchment paper).
• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Stir in melted butter and sweetened condensed milk.
• Mix well and pour onto baking sheet.
• Press down evenly with your hands using waxed paper.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown (could be as long as 40-45 minutes depending on how crunchy you want them).
• Cool for 15 minutes and cut.
• Let cool completely and store in airtight container.
• Enjoy!