Chewy Homemade Granola Bars //
{gluten-free}
Have you ever made homemade granola bars? They have been on my “must bake” list for quite some time. I did my research, and have read numerous reviews before finally adapting this recipe from Smitten Kitchen {which was originally adapted from the King Arthur Flour site}. What I love about these chewy, flavorful bars… is that they are so easy to adjust to your personal taste! You can customize them by adding in walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, cherries or apples, and sesame or pumpkin seeds… the list goes on and on. Although I think these decadent bars are already pretty healthy… you absolutely can make them healthier by changing out the granulated sugar for coconut sugar, and replacing the melted butter with coconut oil. Also… make sure if you use honey, it’s in its raw form so you can get rid of some of the processed sweeteners.
As mentioned above, the recipe calls for 2-3 cups of a dried fruit and nut mixture. I chose to use:
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shavings
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
First mix the dry ingredients together. Stir in your dried fruit and nut mixture and set aside. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet and dry ingredients together until they are well incorporated. Pat firmly into a 9 x 9 inch greased {or lined with parchment paper} baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees {Fahrenheit} for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and set out to cool.
After the bars have cooled slightly, you can place the pan in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes to ease cutting. If you used parchment paper, use the edges to lift the bars out of the pan before cutting. To store, simply wrap the individually cut bars in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
I hope that you love these slightly sweet {completely delicious}, homemade granola bars as much as I do! They were a big hit in my family… and I’m sure they will be in yours, as well! Enjoy!
Chewy Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats {if gluten-free be sure to use gluten-free oats}
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup oat flour {or make your own by putting oats in your blender or food processor pulsing until finely ground}
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts {I used 1 cup pecans 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips}
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter {I used almond butter}
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons melted butter {or coconut oil}
- 1/4 cup honey maple syrup or corn syrup {I used raw honey}
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 9" pan in parchment paper, allowing it to go up the sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.
- Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: peanut {or nut} butter, vanilla, melted butter or oil, sweetener and water. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry until well incorporated. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing firmly to ensure the mixture is molded to the shape of the pan.
- Bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes, until slightly brown on the top and around the edges {make sure you do not over bake! The bars will seem soft if you press in the center, however; they will set completely once completely cool.}
- Cool the bars in their pan completely, or place in the refrigerator to facilitate cooling and ease of cutting. If you used parchment paper, lift and remove the bars by grabbing the edges of the "parchment sling." Use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap and keep in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator. These bars can also be frozen. Enjoy!
