Note: I have a new blog address! You can now find Kristine’s Kitchen at: kristineskitchenblog.com. Please update any bookmarks or favorites you may have, although you will still be redirected to the new page if you type in the old address.
Homemade Granola Bars
Blogging, and reading others’ blogs, has inspired me to try making homemade versions of things that I never would have considered before. Some perfect examples are these homemade burger buns, pita bread, homemade rolls, and now these granola bars. (Next I can’t wait to try my hand at homemade chocolate croissants- I just came across a recipe that has me craving them!)
It took me a few tries to get these granola bars just how I wanted them before sharing them with you. The great thing about these is that you can substitute out ingredients to customize them to your own liking. I love this version, filled with oats, dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, and a touch of peanut butter. I’m sure I’ll still play around with my recipe though, changing the ingredients up for variety.
Katie of Good Life Eats has a great formula for making your own homemade granola bars. She’s broken down the ingredients into 5 categories, listing amounts of each that you’ll need. Then you choose what type of rolled grains, nuts, seeds & spices, sticky sweeteners, dried fruits, and binder you prefer. So try my recipe or create your own- whatever you choose to do, I do hope you’ll try making some homemade granola bars of your own. They are super easy, and the great thing about homemade is that you get to choose exactly what goes into your food.
One year ago: Nutty Granola and Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Homemade Granola Bars
Makes 12 bars
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup chopped dried pitted dates
- 2/3 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 2/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a food processor combine the dates, applesauce, honey, maple syrup, peanut butter, cinnamon, and salt. Process until smooth. Add oats and quickly pulse 2-4 times to incorporate (I prefer some larger pieces of oats so I’m careful not to process too much here).
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in sunflower seeds, almonds, cherries, and chocolate chips.
- Put mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan, pressing down to make sure it evenly fills the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. To cut, remove the granola bars and parchment together and place on a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars.
Individually wrapped, granola bars store well in the freezer for up to a month.
Recipe inspired by Good Life Eats
