Ever read the back of the package on those factory processed granola bars? It’s not that difficult to make them at home and there are many benefits for you and your family. You can use fresher ingredients, omit preservatives and you get to choose the combination of dried fruits, nuts or seasonings that go into these homemade treats (like cinnamon instead of cardamom). And let’s not forget, making your own granola bars is usually less expensive. We adapted this recipe from something we saw by Smitten Kitchen but as with these types of recipes, the sky’s the limit. We even replaced all the butter with our lemon olive oil to reduce the saturated fat. You can vary the ingredients into endless possibilities: shredded coconut, chocolate chips, dried apricots, pralines, cinnamon spice, and the list goes on. Use a smaller baking pan (e.g. 8×8) to make thicker bars which are more decadent as a dessert; we used a 9×13 for the more traditional sized energy snack on the go.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups rolled oats, divided
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons Olive This! Lemon Fused Olive Oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
DIRECTIONS
Arrange oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make things easy, line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a foil sling as shown above (or an 8×8-inch pan if making thicker bars). First lay a sheet of foil on the counter and fold the edges to match the width of the pan. Place in the baking pan creating 3-4 inch “flaps.” Spray with cooking spray or brush with lemon olive oil. Set aside.
Add 1/3 cup of the rolled oats into a blender. Process until finely ground and set aside.
Chop dried fruits and nuts into raisin-sized bits.
For dry ingredients, combine the ground oats, remaining 1 2/3 cups rolled oats, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup raisins, and ½ cup pumpkin seeds. Mix together to combine.
In a medium-sized bowl, add the wet ingredients (1/3 cup peanut butter, 6 tablespoons lemon olive oil, ¼ cup maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water). Whisk to combine well.
Mix together the dry and wet ingredients. Stir well to fully combine.
Spread granola mixture in prepared baking pan and pat down along the edges and corners to form an even layer.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the edges and top begin to brown. You may need to go a little longer for thicker bars so keep an eye on it. Despite the center seeming underdone, it will firm up as it cools. Let cool for about 20 minutes in the baking pan atop a wire rack.
Run a knife along the long edges (where there is no foil) to loosen. Remove from pan using the foil sling.
Place on the wire rack until fully cooled.
Cut into desired size for your granola bars and enjoy!
MAKES 12-16 SERVINGS
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