New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Make granola treats that will wow the whole family! (This is a teaser! Healthy recipe inside!)
Granola Bars can be a little tricky to make. I created numerous recipes before I came up with one that I really like and that works well with different ingredients (because I like to play with my food!). Now a self-proclaimed chewy-granola-bar-making-queen, I announce the following to my fellow New Bedford cooks: The three most important things to keep in mind when making granola bars are 1) if you want them to be chewy, never add flour or eggs to granola bars—I don’t care what food guru told you otherwise, 2) if the mixture isn’t slightly wet when you put it into the pan, they will come out crumbly, and 3) never underestimate the power of coconut oil and honey!
Now for the fun talking points about these super yummies (what my husband fondly refers to them as): If you love snack foods yet don’t want to succumb to the fatty, salty, commercially processed kind, these Chewy Granola Bars are super delicious, highly nutritious, and very easy to make! They also pack a powerful protein, fiber, and energy punch, and if you want to get creative, this recipe has plenty of room for variety. Just sweet enough to taste like an indulgence, eat them for breakfast, on the go, or for an after-dinner/during a movie treat!
Mix Time: 5-10 Minutes / Bake Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: ~24 Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 Cup Peanut Butter (Regular, Natural – With or w/o Nuts)
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar (Dark or Light)
1/2 Cup of Honey
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, Softened
2 1/2 Cups Oats
2 Cups Dry Goods — Any Combination of the Following: Nuts, Dried Fruit, Seeds, Cereal, Coconut Flakes, etc.
Directions:
Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat an 11X9 rectangular baking pan with coconut oil. (You can also use a cookie sheet, as long as it has at least a half-inch or so of height around the edges.)
Stir Peanut Butter & Brown Sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add Honey & Softened Coconut Oil. Mix well.
Add Oats one cup at a time, while mixing gently.
Fold-in remaining dry ingredients.
Spread granola mixture into pan and press down firmly and evenly with fingers or the back of a large spoon.
Bake for about seven minutes uncovered, then, for best results, cover the top of the granola mixture
with aluminum foil and bake the remaining seven to eight minutes.
Cool completely before eating. Cut into squares or rectangles. You can store your Chewy Granola Bars in a covered dish for about a week unrefrigerated, but don’t plan on them sticking around that long!
Variations:
This recipe is extremely versatile. Just search your cabinet for leftover dried goods and create a masterpiece! For extra healthy bars, add flax seeds, goji berries, dried cranberries, and/or chia seeds. You can also add up to two ripe (or over-ripe) bananas, which makes a moist, dense (and still chewy!) granola bar very similar to Odwalla’s banana bar! Or, if you’re feeling naughty and want something slightly more nutritious than a candy bar, add mini-marshmallows to the recipe!
