Make Your Own Granola Bars

Granola bars are the right combination that kids love and moms approve. Most times we purchase granola bars but with this recipe you can make your 

our own. This time we are making our own 

(Starlight Canada.org)

The base: 

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

The rest is up to you! Add whatever nuts, dried fruit, chocolate that you want. 

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the bottom and sides of a 8 or 9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Place oats (and nuts if chosen), onto a separate small baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stir and bake for another 5 minutes. Set aside. In a sauce pan combine butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Stir together sauce-pan mixture and baked oats/nuts and let cool for 5 minutes. Add whatever remaining ingredients you have chosen (dried fruit, chocolate etc.). Transfer mixture into lined baking sheet and use a damp spatula to firmly press mixture into pan. Keep in mind the harder you press the better chance you will have at having solid bars rather than a pile of loose granola. Once pressed refrigerate for at least 2 hours after which you can cut into bars of your desired size. 

Tip: If you add chocolate chips you might notice they melt a little when mixing the ingredients. This is totally fine! Add some more chocolate chips on top right before you toss it in the fridge. 

TIPS:

adding sweet dried fruit to these bars you may want to leave out the sugar as the fruit will help sweeten the bars. Using nuts, seeds and or tart or tangy dried fruit add a bit more sugar

making these granola bars with a hint of peanut flavor add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the dry ingredients along with the other wet ingredients

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