Crunchy Granola Bars

Dulcet Kitchen's Note:

I love those nature's valley crunchy granola bars and I also like those sweet and salty granola bars as well as fruit granola bars! But notice how you can't seem to get everything you want in a granola bar without sacrificing the healthy aspects. Anyhow, I adapted this recipe from one off a blog I stumbled across (http://katescreativekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/sweet-and-salty-granola-bars.html--she has other good recipes to offer also!).

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 20

Yield: 1.0 bar

• 3 cups oats, toasted (I use the quick-cooking kind)
• 1 cup nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, whatever!)
• 1 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, etc. or chocolate chips!)
• 1/2 cup pretzel
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter, melted
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. To toast oats spread them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until just golden.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Firmly press into a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan lined with grease parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.
5. Cool completely and cut.

Reviews

[hartleystudio]

These are so good I'm having to restrain myself from eating the whole pan!! They actually got crunchy, which surprised me and made me really happy! We used walnuts, almonds and peanuts and tossed them together with the oats and toasted them all together. I melted the butter, honey and peanut butter together and added it last. One thing that might make yours better than mine is to use a small cookie sheet so the bars will be at least a 1/4" thick or more. Thanks for the recipe, it's incredible!!

[TheCook.]

Great starter recipe, very flexible. I've made this 4 times now, with different ingredients every time. I make a double batch, and get 32 bars out of it. Dried cranberries and almonds with a splash of real vanilla is my favorite so far. If you make a double batch, bake them about 10 minutes longer, and when they come out, use wax paper over the top to smoosh them down so they hold together better. They won't be as crunchy as Nature Valley, but they're delicious, and go a long way!

[Not-2-Sweet]

Great recipe! I left out the fruit and pretzels. I used coconut oil instead of butter and added some wheat germ and ground flax seeds to the mix. Nice and crunchy! Quick and easy to make too! Thanks for sharing!