I forgot to purchase granola bars at the market last week, so I thought I would dust off my old granola bar recipe. I haven’t used it since life got “too busy” to make my own snacks. That may still be the case when it comes to crackers and that sort of thing, but crunchy granola bars are easier than just about anything. You need a food processor and two rimmed baking sheets. Enjoy!
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup nuts
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place ingredients in food processor bowl and process for 2-3 minutes or until they clump together like damp sand. Place mixture in a large bowl.
- 3 cups rolled oats
Stir into oat mixture until evenly combined.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk together until homogenous and pour over the oat mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture into the parchment-lined baking sheet. Press it evenly throughout the sheet. Line the top with waxed paper. Take a second rimmed baking sheet and nest it inside of the first. Place the nested sheets on the floor and step back and forth on the top of the covering sheet to compact the mixture. Remove the top sheet and carefully remove the waxed paper.
Bake the bars for 15-20 minutes until they are a rich toasty brown color. Immediately use a knife or bench scraper to score the bars in 1 1/2-inch by 3-inch bars. When the bars cool, remove them from the pan. Wrap individual or stacked bars in waxed paper for an easy, relatively tidy treat on the go.
