Chewy Granola Bars
Sweet and a little bit salty... Isn't that all we want in snack food?
I created these granola bars, perhaps, because when I am bored I cook. I got bored! I wanted to make a snack for preschool time and for my husband to stick in his lunch pail. I wanted something hearty and healthy. And better yet versatile.
I love versatility in recipes. One week, I can feel warm and chocolatey and the next I can be nutty and fruity (okay so I am definitely the later, but this girl definitely likes her chocolate).
Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars:
3 Tbs Unsalted Butter
4 Tbs Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Honey
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
3/4 cup Rice Krispies
1/3 cup Wheat Germ (I used mine toasted)
1/4 cup Raw UnSalted Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Variations:
Bulk Bin Tip: To make this a super affordable treat, try shopping bulk bins! Rolled oats, raw almonds and sunflower seeds, toasted wheat germ, craisins, chocolate chips... all come in bulk bins. You make have to invest in air tight containers but you save more than half without having to clip a coupon! I shop Raley's here in Northern California. Not the cheapest bulk bin, but definitely have a great selection and are very clean. Winco has the best selection I've seen and great prices, but they are a little harder for me to get to.
I created these granola bars, perhaps, because when I am bored I cook. I got bored! I wanted to make a snack for preschool time and for my husband to stick in his lunch pail. I wanted something hearty and healthy. And better yet versatile.
I love versatility in recipes. One week, I can feel warm and chocolatey and the next I can be nutty and fruity (okay so I am definitely the later, but this girl definitely likes her chocolate).
Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars:
3 Tbs Unsalted Butter
4 Tbs Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Honey
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
3/4 cup Rice Krispies
1/3 cup Wheat Germ (I used mine toasted)
1/4 cup Raw UnSalted Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling with a frothy white appearance on top, add sugar, honey and salt. Stir ingredients and then allow them to get bubbly for about 5 minutes stirring only if necessary (this will create your sticky caramel base that will hold your granola together). Do not burn.
- Turn off heat. Add oats, krispies, wheat germ and sunflower seeds and stir until evenly coated with caramel mixture.
- Pour onto wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Shape into a roughly 9"x7" rectangle. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and press into granola.
- Place in freezer for 3 minutes. Quickly cooling granola makes sticky caramel bond nicely. Cut into rectangles. (Make sure granola isn't too cold... it will shatter. If it is, wait for it to warm back up to room temperature before cutting.)
Variations:
- Peanut Butter: substitute 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips Or try half of each for peanut butter chocolate chip.
- Almond Cranberry: omit sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. Add 1/2 cup of rough chopped raw almonds and 1/2 cup craisins (add in with oats, krispies and wheat germ). To make this a decadent treat, add nutella. (Though I can't quite figure out how to add the nutella without making them messy. I spread over top and then place wax paper on top and cut into rectangles with wax paper in place so I could store them with wax paper on. I also tried spreading half the rolled oats mixture and then placing tiny dollops of nutella on top and then adding the rest of the mixture to the top. Either way worked and tasted delicious, just a wee bit messy... especially the former)
- Pretty sure this is a great place to put some creativity. Love to hear some more variations! Also, pretty sure the honey caramel mixture would taste great with some popcorn tossed in it. Have yet to try it but YUM!
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| Melt butter and allow it to froth before adding sugars. |
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| Let your caramel mixture look like this for about 5 minutes. |
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| Some of the stars of this recipe. |
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| Pour granola mixture onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet and shape into a 9"x7" rectangle. |
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| I forgot to take picture of pressing chocolate chips into granola.... But here's a picture of me pressing my cranberry, almond, nutella bars into shape so you can get the idea. |
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| Making the edges nice and tight before I stick it in the freezer for 3 minutes. |
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| My Cut Granola bars... Notice one went missing before I even got the picture taken. I wonder who did that... oh yeah, ME! |
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| One more time. The finished product. By the way, here's a freebie: stick snacks in a display like this cake stand. It immediately welcomes people into your home, and makes your home feel warm and cozy. I am determined to be the "cool mom" as my kids grow up. I can't afford the high def. tv and the game consoles or want to maintenance a swimming pool, but, shoot, I can put some snacks in a container for my kids and their friends. "Let's hang at Friddle's house. His mom makes good snacks!" And forget spending tons on dining room/kitchen decorations... the way to go is edible! |
Bulk Bin Tip: To make this a super affordable treat, try shopping bulk bins! Rolled oats, raw almonds and sunflower seeds, toasted wheat germ, craisins, chocolate chips... all come in bulk bins. You make have to invest in air tight containers but you save more than half without having to clip a coupon! I shop Raley's here in Northern California. Not the cheapest bulk bin, but definitely have a great selection and are very clean. Winco has the best selection I've seen and great prices, but they are a little harder for me to get to.