Granola Bars

This recipe I started making to send in DT’s lunches shortly after we were first married.  They are a great tasting, filling snack and the beauty about this recipe is that though it tastes great and is good for you, it is very versatile.  I’ve made it with chocolate chips, peanut butter, toffee bits, various dried fruits and nuts.  Basically anything you like.  Or any leftover ingredients your trying to use up, its perfect in here.

You can also crumble the bars and put on top of yogurt, cereal or just eat by the handful.  They are so much better than the store bought variety and the best part is you know exactly what is in them, no high fructose corn syrup here.  Love that!  So get your creative granola making minds going and whip some up for yourself.

Ingredients: 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, 1 cup sliced almonds , 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 2 T peanut butter , 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit

To start off in a large skillet add the oats

sunflower seeds

almond slivers

and wheat germ

mix well and toast them on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until slightly golden.

While the oat mixture is toasting,  in a small sauce pan over medium heat, pour in honey

brown sugar

butter

creamy peanut butter

vanilla and salt

heat until sugar and peanut butter are melted

Then add the honey mixture to the oats and stir well

then add in the dried fruit (I used a berry mix) but any dried fruit would be great.

The press down into a buttered 9 X 9 inch pan, and bake at 300 for 25 minutes.

The let cool, and cut into squares.

and enjoy!

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Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 T peanut butter
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ into a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until toasted.
In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

This post is listed @ Life as Mom Recipe Swap