HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

There's a good chance granola bars can seriously simplify our lives (Hellooo, it's easy breakfast! :P). The thing is, store-bought bars that look healthy are often loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and lacking in nutrients. As I was browsing through some recipes online and making my grocery list recently, I saw this recipe and realized I had almost everything to make these crunchy granola bars already in my kitchen. Being homemade, I absolutely know what went into them and they’d be a whole lot less expensive than buying them. Double win! These are a great healthy snack packed with oats and nuts. Lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar, they are crunchy, filling and quite delicious. 

These oaty and nutty granola bars are a great alternative to the shop-bought versions.

They are quite simple to rustle up too :)

The only thing missing in my kitchen was the mixed nuts... Errr, I only had some raisins at home. So, instead of buying separate packs of nuts and dried fruits which I seldom use, I bought this - easier and to prevent any wastage (since I don't use them often): 

The pack contains almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, raisins and mulberries.

Ingredients: 

• 3 1/2 cups quick/steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup VCO (virgin coconut oil)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup mixed nuts and dried fruits
• 6 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 10 x 7.5 x 2 inch rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil, and then with baking sheet, on top of the foil.
2. Combine the oats, oil and salt in a large bowl and mix until the oats are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or til pale gold, stirring every 5 mins (If you are using old fashioned rolled oats, bake for 20-25 mins, stirring every 10 mins). Remove the oats and lower the oven temp to 150°C. 



The color difference, before (On the spoon) and after baking.

3. Chop the nuts coarsely with a knife (I've chopped them up finely so it's easier for my LO to eat them), or simply throw them into a food processor and process til coarsely chopped (I didn't have one). 
4. Combine the honey and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, to dissolve the sugar. 
5. Combine the oats, nuts, and honey mixture in a large bowl and stir with a large rubber spatula until the oats are thoroughly coated with the honey mixture.

   

   Stir til the oats are thoroughly coated.

   Grease the baking sheet (still with foil sling). Then transfer the granola mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Firmly press the mixture into the pan. Make a flat, tight, and even layer. Bake for about 30 - 35 mins, or til golden.  
6. Cool in the baking sheet, on a wire rack. Allow them to really cool off before cutting into bars (Note: Though the original recipe says do not wait longer than 15 mins before cutting the bars, I find them crumbly. They harden up significantly as they cool, and I find it easier to cut them nicely when they are hardened). Cut the bars according to your desired length/size.

Tips:

• The bars can be stored, covered for up to 2 weeks.
• Make sure you use a big sharp knife to cut. Mine wasn't sharp enough, so the sizes were a lil uneven >.<