Yummy Granola Squares Food

HEALTHY 5-INGREDIENT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a "dough" like consistency. (Mine rolled into a ball.)
• Optional step: Toast your oats (and almonds if raw) in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Otherwise, leave them raw - I prefer the toasted flavor.
• Place oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl - set aside.
• Warm maple syrup (or agave or honey) and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and then mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.
• Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they lift out easily. (A loaf pan might work, but will yield thicker bars // adjust size of pan if altering batch size).
• Press down firmly until uniformly flattened - I use something flat, like a drinking glass, to press down and really pack the bars, which helps them hold together better.
• Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let firm up in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes.
• Remove bars from pan and chop into 10 even bars (or 9 squares // as original recipe is written). Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. I kept mine in the freezer to keep them extra fresh, but it isn't necessary.

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 SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Coat a 11 1/2 by 16 1/2 jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, flour, milk, Grape-Nuts cereal, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, raisins and almonds.
• In a 2 cup measuring bowl beat together the oil, honey, water, cinnamon and vanilla.
• Pour over dry mixture coating thoroughly.
• Spread granola in the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes.
• Leave mixture in the oven about an hour until cool.
• Granola should be very crisp.
• Cut into squares and store in a covered container.

YUMMY GRANOLA SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
• Melt margarine with honey and bicarbonate of soda either on the stove or using microwave.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly useing a wooden spoon.
• Spread evenly on ungreased 9*13 inch pan and press down firmly.
• I like covering the pan with parchment paper.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until brown.
• (In my convection oven it only takes about 16-18 minutes) Cut into squares while still warm.
• Freezes well in a sealed plastic container.

YUMMY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Combine the dry ingredients.
• Bring syrup, brown sugar and butter to boil.
• Add wet ingredients to dry; mix well.
• Firmly pack down into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool before turning out and cutting.

YUMMY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Stir together first 5 ingredients until well blended.
• In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients.
• Pour wet mixture over the dry and stir well.
• Pat into a greased, metal 9X13 pan.
• Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned. Do not overbake.
• Feel free to throw in flax seeds, oat bran or other granola possibilities.