Thursday, February 13, 2014

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

This recipe is delicious and healthy, no High Fructose Corn Syrup or any refined sugars.  I made them for my son's class for a snack and they were very well liked, in fact, one of the students said they were the best granola bars ever.  
This is just the base recipe, you can add whatever nuts, fruits, wheat germ, flax seeds, or anything that may be good in them.  

Heathly Granola Bars

4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups Chopped Nuts - whichever kind you prefer
1 1/3 cups Sucanat
1 cup Honey
1/2 cup Butter
4 tsp. Vanilla  (you may add different flavorings, Almond, maple etc.)
1 tsp Kosher Salt (Regular may work just as well, may cut back a tad bit)
1/2 cup Craisins, or whichever fruit you prefer.



Preheat oven to 350*  Mix the nuts and oatmeal together and spread onto a cookie sheet. 
Toast in the oven until a golden brown.
Meanwhile, get your 9x9x13 pan ready by lining it with wax paper or foil.  Lightly spray the wax paper with cooking spray.
Keep checking on the oatmeal mixure to make sure it doesn't get to toasted. ( I like to forget this alot and have to start over).  After it is toasted, dump carefully into a large bowl and set aside.






In a saucepan combine Sucanat, honey, butter, vanilla, and kosher salt.  Bring barely to a boil and then remove from heat.






Pour over the oatmeal mixure and add your fruit.  Stir 

well to make sure you coat everything evenly.






Pour the entire mixture into your prepare pan, cover 

with more wax paper or foil and press firmly over the 

entire pan to make sure your bars don't crumble 

apart when they are cool.  










Set aside and let completely cool (2-3 hours)  or put in the fridge for a quicker cooling time. 
After they are completely cooled, turn out and cut into bars. 



 Wrap the bars if they are not going to be eaten right away.  Enjoy some delicious, healthy granola bars.

9 comments:

  1. Nice, I might try this in a solar oven but what is Sucanat?

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    Replies
    1. Sucanat is cane sugar that has not been processed or refined. It retains a brown color and a molasses flavor. You can use it in place of brown sugar, but the outcome of the final product will be a little different.

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    2. Oh, I understand. So it is not liquid then?

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    3. i'm also curious about sucanat, can we get it at any local store?

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  2. This looks like a great recipe. I am going to try e making these one day. Your pictures show the process clearly too. Thanks for sharing it.

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  3. Hello, is it ok if I use honey instead of sucanat?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. honey is also in the recipe so i'm not sure, but i definitely want to try these because i'm on a health kick lately.

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    2. I pick up my Sucanat up at a Heath Food Store, but I have noticed a few grocery stores starting to carry the less refined sugars. Not sure if you can get it at Walmart, but places like Albertsons may carry it now.

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    3. Portia, I wouldn't recommend it as it would make more liquid. The Sucanat is the bulk part of it. It would be like taking the sugar out of a candy and would require a lot of adjustments.

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