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So to my fellow peanut butter lovers... This may not have been the most nutritional choice but I added about 1 1/2 (total) cups of baking chocolate chips mixed with baking reese's peanut butter morsels that I found in the super market instead of fruits. The bars came out looking a lot different that the photos above and tasting a little bit more like a candy bar (but still good!). They were a little more gooey than nutty, but when cut open you can see all the nutty goodness inside them. They were very delicious! My next ones will be chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Should be just as interesting! Anyhow just though I would share with everyone who was wondering about the PB! (It's worth a try!)
Ginger/Washington DC
Also, I'm trying to find a good plugin for making printable pages without all the photos. I'll definitely post a blog entry when I've figured it out!
Mr.Puffy - You're so welcome
Kris - I'm not sure, but I was thinking about (for the next batch) reducing the oats and using some puffed rice cereal (like rice crispies) in its place. Probably anything similarly textured would work though.
Mrs. Maze - I hope you two enjoy it!
I added 3T of unsweetened fresh ground peanut butter to the wet ingredients as well as a tsp of cinnamon. I also used cashews in place of peanuts, unsweetened coconut, and for dried fruit - cranberries & apples. YUM!
Thanks for the recipe!
Your blog is wonderful! Best Wishes!
I've got to try these, I guess I know what I'm going to be doing tonight!
I just found your blog through stumbleupon and am loving the design, nice and clean and simple. The recipes are looking nice as well and can certainly see myself making some of them in the future. I am actually looking for people with excellent food photos who want to share them with the world and interact with other foodies. I started by blogging myself about a year ago and was frustrated that not enough people were seeing the quality content I had and saw huge potential for people to share their food photos and videos with a bigger audience and ultimately drive more traffic back to their own site. Check me out at www.ifoods.tv and let me know what you think and keep up the good work on the blog!
I also stacked a pile of heavy cookbooks on top of the finished mixture because I was worried I wouldn't be able to press down hard enough. It compacted everything nicely and saved me some work!
Thanks - Lindy
I think I will take out the vanilla next time though and maybe add more honey instead of sugar, as they were a bit too sweet, still tasty though.
Sally xxx
Awesome recipe!
Thank you for sharing!
Finally, a tummy friendly granola bar and NO COCONUT.
I must be in heaven.
What a delicious bar, and it's fun to try different variations.
Thanks for sharing
Emily
And I added dried sour cherries as the fruit---yum.
My favorite variation uses toasted coconut, dried cherries, dried strawberries, dates and cashews. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you!
I am replying to Lindy's comment posted in May:
Just copy and paste all the words that you want to use, from the recipe, into Word (or whatever word processing program you have). Then, print it out. Hope that helps.
Have a happy, healthy day, everyone!
Inspirational!!!
I found your recipe very simple, and indeed healthy. I just tried it out, and I licked the remains off the pan till it looked ready to go right back on the shelf!
I wanted to add my 2-cents worth:
I began making the granola and only half-way realised that I neither had brown sugar, nor butter. So I looked into my cabinet and pulled out jaggery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggery and http://www.pbase.com/digitalfestival/image/5636...). This is a product made either of sugarcane or of date-palm. The kind I used was very dark brown and I think it is made form date palm with a superb depth of taste. As far as the butter went, I decided to take a chance do without it.
AND... much to delight it works perfectly without the butter! So those of you wanting to shave off some more calories, can make this without the butter (provided you're using jaggery, I suppose)
Thanks! Great inspiration!
I'm really glad everyone is enjoying the recipe (and making their own variations of it, of course)!
A couple tips - put them into cookie sheet for thinner, crispy bars or try a 9x9 pan for thicker, chewier bars...both are good. I hate to turn on the oven in the summer so I toasted the oat mix on the stovetop in a large skillet. Put the oats and nuts/seeds in first then add wheat germ toward the end of toasting as it burns easily. Keep stirring them so they all get toasted without burning. The vanilla is optional depending on the other flavors that you use. You really don't need to spray the waxed paper, it has never stuck to mine. I do wrap them individually for easy access and freshness.
Try it, you will like it! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Question: any idea how they freeze?
Your variations sound so good. I agree about it being a bit on the honey-sweet side. Did the peanut butter and jam really help it stick together? What a good idea!
Question for Diane--did you have trouble w/ your chocolate chips melting? Mine look all melty, but maybe it will not be a problem once they cool.
Question for Emily (that's my daughter's name, too!)--can you tell me the proportions for the peanut butter and jam (PB&J!) substitutions. I could probably figure it out, but why reinvent the wheel.
Thanks so much for any and all feedback.
thanks!
I accidentally cut out the brown sugar (maybe that was part of the stickiness problem) and am glad I did because they are sweet enough without it for me. I added dried cranberries, replaced peanuts with cashews, and excluded the sunflower seeds. I also added a little bit of apple granola I had on hand. It all worked together well and was super easy to put together. Yay for not having to buy expensive granola bars anymore! These are healthier too.
Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely be making them again.
-Susan
Thanks!!
Thanks so much for the excellent recipe!
especially if you plan to add flax seeds, you must know this! sunflower seeds, peanuts, flax, all full of poly's that will turn right into trans.
try baking them at 350 or lower. it takes longer, but if you're looking for healthy, it's kinda neccessary.
oh, and try hemp seeds!
• 2 cups oats 607*2 = 1214
• 3/4 cup wheat germ 432 * .75 = 324
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds 745 *.75 = 559
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed 166 = 166
• 2/3 cup brown sugar 836 * .66 = 552
• 1/2 cup honey 1031 * .5 = 516
• 4 Tbsp butter 102 * 4 = 408
• 2 tsp vanilla extract = 0
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt = 0
• approximately 8 oz. dried fruit 85 * 5 = 680
• Total Calories = 3903
I'm late to reading this but I made a recipe without butter, without brown sugar and only 1/2 cup of honey (blueberry honey actually.) I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and used sugarless, saltless peanut butter. About 3 tbls. You can also toast the nuts in a greaseless non-stick fry pan but not too hot.
It makes the bars vegan friendly and cuts out a lot of extra fat and sugar you don't need. Add a bit of safflower oil if you want the oil.
R
I like to cut these up into bars, then put them on a cookie sheet (not touching) and freeze them. When they are well frozen, you can put them in a bag and then back into the freezer right away; they will not stick together. If you like your granola bars crunchy you can eat them right out of the freezer, or let them thaw for a bit to get the chewy texture. Great for the kids' lunches. Thanks for the recipe!
I did make some changes, so I thought I'd share. I used flax instead of wheat germ because it was in bulk at winco and therefore cheaper. I also left out the dried fruit because my boyfriend can't stand them. And I used a combination of crushed up unsalted peanuts with whole almonds. (Mostly almonds)
If you haven't tried this recipe, try it! It will save you money and it really doesn't take too long at all :)
thanks again,
Jennifer
So here’s my recipe. Let me know if you try it out!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gather your ingredients:
2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts, crushed
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit
To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.
Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.
Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.
Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (I forgot to take a picture of this step, but it looks so pretty!)
By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.
Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.
Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.
Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.
Then, open the waxed paper …
And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.
Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.
I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).
Enjoy!
Of course, you can mix up the recipe. I used peanuts because they’re what we had, but next time I’m going to make the granola nutless at first, but during the pressing-down part, I plan to press almonds into the top of the bars.
Another combo that would be fun to try is macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut flakes.
Or try dried cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate chips (just a few).
I also plan to add flax seed to my granola mix.
Different flavors of honey would also probably change the final outcome too. Mmm…
So many options! Good thing we have time! Be sure to write down all of your delicious variations on adorable recipe cards so you won’t forget them! I’ve got several designs in the shop, so check them out!
Sheri
When I made them, I also added 1/2 cup ground flax for extra fiber, and I bought a fruit/nut mix from a bulk food bin to save money and get a variety of nutrients.
SO hearty and crispy - or if you want them soft you can heat them up a little.
Also, I didn't want to eat a whole bar full, so I pressed them into cooking-sprayed mini-muffin tins.
Thanks for sharing!
As far as I have read, whole flax seeds benefit from grinding in terms of unlocking their nutrients. They have a hull that makes them mostly indigestible if left whole and raw - although some people do still eat them that way.
For toasting, I think it can unlock some nutrients if baked lightly in the oven (as this recipe calls for) but over the stove may be too hot. Also, one website post that I read online (can't find it at the moment) recommends toasting flax to kill a certain compound in them that - in high doses - may supress thyroid function after awhile. I am no scientist, so I'm not sure about that, but it is something to consider...
I try to stick to healthier eating habits because I get "sick" just thinking about how much junk people eat now-a-days, and I want a healthier body! I was thrilled to find this recipe b/c I love granola bars! Thanx!
And I happened to notice your ring, which is exactly what I'm looking for as a wedding ring. Can you tell me where you got it? Celtic knots with a sapphire or other blue stone is exactly what I want.
Thanks
wheat germ, so i added millet and just mixed it in with the oats etc.
and i didn't put any salt in them. And the results were amazing, everyone loved them and my daughter took the last 4 home with her. I was so surprised!! She is a picky eater too.
For my first batch, I mistakenly boiled the syrup for longer than the recipe states, but it actually worked out fine and made the bars crispy-crunchy instead of soft-chewy. Delicious both ways.
Use parchment paper to line the pan and to press down the mixture. NOTHING sticks to parchment! My waxed paper stuck and I was forever picking out little pieces from both top and bottom, and I probably ate just as much.
I made a batch to send to my deployed husband - he and his men will love these! To ensure they made it to Iraq in good shape, I wrapped each bar in plastic and then FoodSaver-ed them, and included a ziploc bag for leftovers.
Adding flaxseeds makes them delicious, earthy, and full-flavored. Yum!
These are so good that you want to eat more than a few each time, but the butter in them requires some restraint on my part. I need to find a recipe that uses heart-healthy oil for my vegan son and for myself.
Thanks so much for these easy to make and delicious bars.
I found this when I googled granola bars. I think you and I were like-minded because I agree with everything you typed before the recipe! I've been saying it for years processed foods are discusting!
Anyways I tried the recipe for my sister's cross country team and altered a few things, instead of peanuts and sunflower seeds I used a nice mix of walnuts and pecans. For fruit I did half/half of Cranraisins and raisins.
I think you can taste too much of the honey so next time I'm going to either up the oats, decrease the honey, or decrease the sugar. Otherwise they turned out great! Thanks for making the recipe avaible. Nice photos by the way
Can't wait to try it!
Over the course of the trip, I noticed that the flavors in the bars seemed to mellow and blend, so that they got better over time. At the outset, the vanilla flavor was very strong; by the sixth day, it had equalized with the rest of the ingredients. I don't know if this is a result of using fancy vanilla or if it's something experienced by anyone who doesn't eat the whole batch in a sitting. Either way, yum!
Not to worry! You aren't creating trans fats in your kitchen.
It does not take much spice blend to give these granola bars a nice flavor - 1 tsp or less - so give it a try!
I made these today :))) i have the same thoughts as you about the kashi bar and finding a healthy bar!!
Wheat germ has a lot of protein, iron, potassium, vitamin E and other good stuff... if you want to leave it out the bars will taste fine. They just add a bit of "yay!" to the healthiness of the bars. (maybe to make up for all the sugar and butter? haha)
Thanks again,
Gabi
Beyond that, I have to say that they are fantastic bars, too! thanks for the recipe :>)
Johna Moody
In general I just love this recipe. The photos are terrific and of great help. Kudos for coming up with this fantastic way of making a delicious granola bar.
By the way, I made up a batch for my trip to the West Coast so that I would have something quick and nutritious on the plane or on the road. Easy, breezy and yummy!
2 cups oats - 108g of carbs
3/4 cup wheat germ - 108g of carbs
3/4 cup sunflower seeds - 12g of carbs
1 cup peanuts, crushed - 24g of carbs
2/3 cup brown sugar - 128g of carbs
1/2 cup honey - 136g of carbs
4 Tbsp butter - 0g of carbs
2 tsp vanilla extract - 0g of carbs (too minute to even bother counting but it is 1.4g of carbs per 2tsp)
1/2 tsp Kosher salt - 0g of carbs
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit - This will depend on the amount and types of dried fruit you add.
For the original recipe minus the dried fruit the total number of carbs is 516 carbs. The 2 different batches I made in one I added 2/3 cup craisins and 1/2 cup raisins which is 2 servings of each and the carb count on that is 148g of carbs and in the other I added 3/4 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup semi sweet baking chips and the carb count on that was 120g of carbs.
Now depending on how many bars you cut is obviously going to determine the carb count in each bar. The batch I made with the fruit if I cut them into 20 bars it would be 33g of carbs per bar and cut into 18 would be 36g of carbs per bar. The peanut butter chocolate chip one is cut into 20 bars is 32g of carbs and cut into 18 bars is 35g of carbs so really not much of a difference.
I did check and there is no carb saving by using Splenda brown sugar over regular because they are both 4g of carbs per serving.
I was wondering if anyone has any ideas of "glue" that would work besides honey and brown sugar that would be a little more carb friendly but still hold tight and taste good?
Overall this is a great recipe and my family loves it. I feel better knowing that they are getting a filling and healthier snack than the store bought granola bars. Thanks for a delicious recipe.
They would also be great to make ahead in the winter. I snowboard all the time and need something healthy to give me energy on the hill!
Anyway! Thanks for the blog and the great recipes and tutorials! I love reading about other people's experiences.
I've had this bookmarked for some time, and finally had time this weekend to make them. It was superbly easy to do; the hardest part was being patient enough to wait for them to cool! I think they are much too sweet for my taste, though, so in the future I plan on trying to reduce the sugar and maybe incorporate some molasses - in my granola, I use only maple syrup and molasses. I also think I'd like them better with ground flax meal instead of wheat germ. And, in the future, will probably not toast the flax meal / wheat germ as it gets browned so much quicker than the oats and nuts.
I'm really looking forward to making more of these and trying out different fruit and nut combinations!
Quick question... what type of oats? regular - quick cooking???
Cheers and good on ya' for creating such a great dish to share with all of us!
Of course, I had to save one to have with my tea tonight.
Quick question though - I followed your recipe exactly (well, with the exception of almonds vs peanuts) and my bars are sticky - are they supposed to be.
Thanks for the great pictures too!
Also, the fat and calorie count is high... will try the jaggery and maple syrup, but wonder if anyone has a recipe for a low fat, low calorie, high fiber bar. Basically, Fiber One without the HFCS!
So Tasty! Thanks Again.
I stumbled upon this recipe 'cause I wanted to make some granola bars for a friend who was really craving them. These are so tasty!! I'm about to make another batch for my mum who absolutely loved them.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!
I think compressing them adequately is probably key - I actually got a chopping board, laid it on top and stood on it (hey, there was a chopping board *and* saran wrap between me and the bars...). To help the bars cool down more quickly, I laid a freezer block on top of them. If I'd thought of it, I'd have put the freezer block in some water in a metal cookie sheet and laid on top of the bars. That would have really sped things up.
As they stand, they held together like store-bought bars and taste pretty excellent. Perfect pre-run carbs!
pressing them down. my recipe calls for baking the bars &
it is tricky to cut them without crumbling the bars all up so i am
going to try your version tonight. i wanted to mention i always put
flax seeds in my recipe but i grind them in a coffee grinder first then
add to the concoction. this way you get all the nutritional benefit from
the seeds and no one knows you added them. apparently the whole flax
seeds do nothing for you if they are not broken up first. health food stores
sell flax crushed but it is expensive and so easy to do yourself.
thanks for sharing :]
Thank you!
Thanks for your trial and error, I'm going to try to make these and see how they turn out.
Sounds yummy!
I have tried gronola bars with some dry fruits & oats with the same measurement. it was crumbly. taste was great. we finished all but we had to eat with a cereal. can you pl. give me a suggestion or where did i go wrong? why it was crumbly.
thanks
sd
So, next time I am just going to use whole flax seeds since I like them so much. And instead of using syrup I am just going to stick with the brown sugar and then rework it from there if I don't like the out come. Wish me luck!
(Oh, so after I tried them, wanting to salvage something, I picked out the whole Almonds to use the next time : ) )
My ingredients were based on what I had on hand and needed to use up. I was going to grind up some flax seeds (whole flax seeds just pass right through you because they are too small, you have to grind them to get the nutritional benefits) but I didn't, maybe next time.
These look and smell wonderful, but I have yet to taste them as they are cooling right now.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
They are very sweet, you're right... I've been trying to make a less sweet version but they don't tend to stick together very well.
will let u know how that turns out.
Thanks again.
Next flavor I want to make is with crushed peanuts, peanut butter, and a few chocolate chips, maybe some raisins or apricots to squeeze some fruit in there. Have you used peanut butter before? I'm guessing I could replace the butter with natural peanut butter, but I'm not sure if that's enough peanut butter flavor. Hmmm...
For my second attempt, I followed Wendy's revisions to a degree. I don't remember exactly what I did, but they turned out much less sweet. They didn't fall apart. Also, I used a smaller square baking dish and they turned out quite thick, which probably contributed to their stability.
My version of the recipe:
3 cups oats
2 cups nuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fruit
Like everyone, I used what I had around. I used walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and dried apple. I didn't like the gummy texture of the apple in this, so I left it out of the second one.
Now I did some shopping and I have peanuts, cashews, and dried mango.
My mom said that the second ones were the best granola bars she ever had! (Maybe she was just really hungry).
thanks!
Thank you so much for the recipe!