I must admit, there are few snacks that I love more than a nice, well-balanced granola bar. After scheduling my classes around and during lunch time—mainly because I’m definitely not a morning person—granola bars have become my staple for a quick bite in between classes to stave off a rumbly tummy during Economics.
While I’d normally pick up a box of Luna bars or something from Kashi, I was never a big fan of all the extra ingredients and additives. So, after perusing a few cookbooks and recipes, I got together an idea of what I’d like my own granola bars to be like, namely, something with plenty of fruits and nuts—especially cherries and almonds—as well as something that didn’t have too much sugar and that was easy to throw together. After a bit of trial and error, I think I’ve come up with a winner.
To start, combine in a food processor some old-fashioned oats…
…whole wheat flour…
…nonfat dry milk…
…and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Once all that’s in there, mix it up until finely ground and well blended.
Then add some raw sunflower seeds…
…raw almonds…
…dried cherries (Yum!)…
…and dried cranberries.
Pulse those in the food processor until slightly broken up, but still retaining a lot of their shape—about ten pulses—and then transfer to a large bowl.
Add two beaten eggs…
…and a good glug of maple syrup.
Stir that all together and then pour the mixture out onto a baking sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil or with cooking spray. To spread, since this stuff gets pretty sticky thanks to the syrup, cover it with a piece of cling wrap and use your hands to spread it out to desired thickness.
After that, simply remove the cling wrap and bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
And that’s it! A quick, easy, yummy snack that’s also pretty healthy to boot. They keep well in the fridge for about a week or stored in the freezer for a few months, either way they’re delicious.
If you’re looking for a tasty treat to take to work, school, or just have the munchies, give these a try!
P.S. Check out the new and improved, streamlined sidebar! No more odd label cloud, that’s been replaced with a handy search engine. Plus a fascinating glimpse into my Twitter feed, along with the same old Facebook and Google gadgets. Feel free to follow any or all of them if you want to hear even more witty ramblings from myself.
Koci’s Favorite Granola Bars
Recipe by La Kocinera
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine oats, flour, dry milk, and cinnamon in a food processor, mixing until finely ground. Add sunflower seeds, almonds, cherries, and cranberries; pulse until slightly chopped, about 10 quick pulses.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the beaten egg and maple syrup. Pour out onto a baking sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil or cooking spray and cover with a piece of cling wrap. Using your fingers, press down on the mixture to spread it out along the baking sheet to desired thickness.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. After cooling, cut into bars and package in an airtight container and store for several days either at room temperature or in the refrigerator or freeze for several months.
Koci – Those look GREAT! I love granola bars, but have never made my own. At least you know that they don't contain any funky preservatives, just good healthy ingredients!
Koci – they sound gorgeous. I love granola and granola bars – all those seeds are so great for healthy skin
Great looking granola bars! I'm always looking for great after school snacks and these fit the bill! Thanks for sharing :o)
These look great. I love your step by step photos 🙂
Koci! I love the combo of textures and flavors in these granola bars! Crunchy seeds, tangy fruits, sweet syrup…yum!
These look wonderful! They remind me of Trader Joe's trail mix bars, which have been suspiciously missing from stores lately so I've been looking for a way to make my own!
I love the idea of making a big batch and stashing them in the freezer – I would definitely grab one when I know I'm going to have to eat on the run!
These granola bars are filled with so much good stuff! I can definitely see this being the perfect mid-day snack to hold you off until whenever. This is pretty easy too! Sweet new sidebar, by the way 😉
Your Granola bars are beautiful! So many good ingredients, I love how easy it was to make, I have been wanting to make granola for so long, these bars have really given me the inspiration to make some!
@Wendy: Thanks! That's what really motivated me to make some of my own–just to know exactly what's in them!
@alchemy: You're so right! I didn't even remember that bonus.
@Susi: These are definitely great for those after-school munchies!
@Dana: Thank you!
@Becky: Thanks! I'm really happy with the way they turned out as far as texture goes. I like my granola bars to have some definite crunch, not just to have everything blended together.
@Diana: Ooh, then I may have to try some of those, if they return to stores/if I have a store nearby. I always love finding new granola and energy bars!
@Marisa: Thanks! Glad you like the sidebar. I'm still surprised by how some of these things that look so simple on websites are actually a lot of work!
@Chef Dennis: Thank you! Can't wait to see what granola-y goodness you come up with! 😀