These are easy-to-make, chewy granola bars.
Mix and match with similar dry ingredients to create your own
flavor of granola bars. Toasting the oats, sunflower seeds, nuts
and coconut increases flavor and give the bars more crunchiness,
however it is not necessary. You can omit the procedure and use
the ingredients without toasting, if desired.
Granola Bars
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats
1 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pecans,
almonds, cashews, etc.)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup smooth-style peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional use - see note)
Line with parchment paper, foil or grease
an 11 x 17-inch jelly roll pan; set aside.
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
Combine first 4 ingredients in 13 x 9
x 2-inch baking pan, mixing well. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring
every 5 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
Place toasted mixture a large mixing bowl
and add the rice cereal, ground flax seed or wheat germ, dates
and/or raisins; set aside.
Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup
in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring
frequently. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the
peanut butter and vanilla until well mixed. Pour syrup mixture
over granola mixture and stir until well coated. Stir in chocolate
chips, if using.
Quickly spread mixture into prepared pan,
using your hands if necessary to distribute evenly. Place a piece
of plastic wrap on top and with a rolling pin, press granola
mixture down firmly and evenly. Cool completely. Once cool, lift
mixture from pan with the edges of the parchment or foil and
cut into bars (a pizza cutter works nicely). If desired, wrap
each bar individually so they'll be for a snack anytime, anywhere.
Makes 36 (approximately 1 1/4 x 4-inch)
granola bars.
Cook's Notes:
Since the granola mixture will be warm,
the chocolate chips will, for the most part, melt. This creates
a chocolatey-style granola bar. If you wait for the mixture to
cool down even slightly, it will harden too much to incorporate
the chips into it. Also, try other flavors of chips such as milk
or white chocolate.
For variation use any combination of dried
fruits such dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, etc.
Nutritional Facts Per Serving
(1 bar): 241.0 calories; 34% calories from fat; 10.0g total fat;
0.0mg cholesterol; 62.3mg sodium; 209.1mg potassium; 35.2g carbohydrates;
3.3g fiber; 17.0g sugar; 31.9g net carbs; 6.0g protein.
Copyright 2002 Hope Pryor,
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