So we’re cruising down the road, headed to a concert when lunch time rolls around. Our tummies get grumbly and each of us hopes the other remembered to pack a healthy snack. If not, we’re in trouble. We often don’t have time to stop, and when we do have time, it’s truly a struggle for us to find something quick, convenient, organic and nutritious.
Occasionally, we remember to make our own energy bars and granola bars at home, ahead of time. We pop them in the freezer for future outings. These yummy and healthy granola bars are easy to make. They’re loaded with apricots, cherries, almonds and dates and oats. Chia seeds and wheat germ add extra nutrition. Honey and brown rice syrup satisfy our sweet tooth and bind the ingredients together.
This recipe also lends itself to infinite variations. We experiment with different fruits, nuts and seeds. Cacao nibs, white chocolate … I’m just sayin’.
When we need a convenient, portable, healthy snack, these fill our tummies and stop the grumblies.
Ingredients
2 cups oats (rolled or old-fashioned oatmeal)
1 cup almonds (finely chopped)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup chia seeds
3 Tablespoons of butter or Earth Balance or oil
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pitted dates (chopped)
1/2 dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 dried cherries (chopped)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Toast the almonds and oats on a baking sheet in the oven until lightly browned.
This should take about 10 – 14 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Toasted oats and almonds with chia seeds and wheat germ are mixed in a large mixing bowl.
Put toasted oats/almonds in a large mixing bowl and stir in the chia seeds and wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Butter or oil a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
This mixture of butter, brown rice syrup, honey, real salt and vanilla extract keep the granola together.
Combine the butter, honey, brown rice syrup, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour in the bowl over the oat/chia/almond/wheat germ mixture. When measuring sticky, sweet syrups like honey, molasses and rice syrup, a thin coating of oil or butter on the measuring cup or spoon helps the syrup slide out.
Chopped apricots, cherries and dates are tossed in just before mixing.
Add the dates, apricots, and cherries and stir well.
After mixing well, the granola is transferred into the prepared 13" x 9" x 2" pan.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Wet hands work well for pressing the granola mixture into the pan.
Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow mixture to completely cool for 3 hours to overnight.
Parchment paper peels easily from the granola.
Turn the pan over onto a cutting board, and firmly hit the pan against the board to dislodge the baked mixture. Peel the parchment off.
Cut granola bars into whatever shapes and sizes work for you. Here we cut the pan into 3 rows of eight granola bars each, yielding 24 tasty treats.
Cut into rectangles the size of your choosing. We cut this 13″ x 9″ x 2″ into 24 bars. You might also want to cut them into different sizes for the different appetites in your household.
Thanks to Ina Garten for the original recipe and method that inspired our granola bar journey.
Have delicious combo of ingredients that works well for you?
Post a comment and let us know.
We’re always trying something new!
