Breakfast Bars or Granola Bars

D

deweydecimal

Enthusiast Member
Hello all,

I am looking for a tried and true granola or breakfast bar recipe that does not have peanut butter, nuts or chocolate (well, maybe in moderation LOL) . I'm tired of paying the grocery store prices for the bars and I know that there are delicious recipes out there somewhere! I love the bars and eat enough of them that I think I should be able to make them at home. I am looking for a moist, chewey bar that is healthy and good for you and that I can switch around ingredients like dried fruit. Not sugary, no frosting, good for you, low calorie, etc. Is this possible?

Does anyone have a good recipe to recommend?

Thanks in advance,

Deweydecimal (Halyna)

PS. Love the new website look!!!!!! Bravo

 
T&T Rec: Chewy Granola Bars

I pressed the mixture into a pan so I'd have bars. See rave reviews.
I felt like you. Why pay all that money when you can bake a delicious, healthier version at home?

Chewy Granola Bars

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4-1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
raisins, opt.

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease or spray 9 x 13 pan.
In large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.
Blend in honey, vanilla and egg.
In separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Add flour mixture gradually to sugar mixture and beat until combined.
By hand, stir in almonds, chocolate chips and oats until well mixed.
Press mixture firmly in bottom of greased pan, and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.
Cool and cut into squares.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chewy-Granola-Bars-20184

 
101 Cookbook's Big Sur Power Bars

Found this recipe at 101 Cookbook's website - there is even a video showing her making the bars. My Marathon Running Friends really like these bars.

Big Sur Power Bar Recipe
If you can't find the crisp brown rice cereal, no worries - just use regular rice cereal for ex: Rice Crispies - just stay clear of "puffed" rice cereal, it will throw the recipe off. Feel free to substitute other types of nuts, seeds, or whatever little goodies you can dream up.

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or regular butter)
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup (unsweetened) shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal
1 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 tablespoons ground espresso beans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan with the coconut oil. If you like thick power bars, opt for an 8 by 8-inch pan; for thinner bars, use a 9 by 13-inch pan.

On a rimmed baking sheet toast the pecans, almonds, and coconut for about 7 minutes, or until the coconut is deeply golden. Toss once or twice along the way. Mix the oats, toasted nuts, coconut, and the cereal, together in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine the rice syrup, sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens just a bit, about 4 minutes. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until it is evenly incorporated.

Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into whatever size bars you desire.

Makes 16 to 24 bars.

 
These are the best I've ever had>>

They're from Smitten Kitchen. I don't know if you require no nut butters at all, but I made them with almond butter. I 've never had a better bar. I used large flake unsweeetened coconut, sesame seeds, dried blueberries, cranberries and two kinds of raisins. I also used pecans, but you can leave out or add anything to this recipe, I would think. Give it a try!

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/thick-chewy-granola-bars/

 
Chewy Apricot Granola Bars by Christopher Kimball

By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL
Once in a great while I come across something in a bakery that is so good it reminds me of my first croissant — rich, addictive and, with all that butter, deadly. When I first tasted one of Joanne Chang’s fruit-filled granola bars at her bakery, Flour, in the South End of Boston, I knew that I had hit pay dirt. The filling was rich with flavor but not jammy and the granola layers were moist, chewy and deeply satisfying. Adapting the recipe for use at home, I found it was important not to over-process the flour/oats/butter mixture or the bars will turn out greasy. And if you cannot find unsweetened dried cranberries, use sweetened and reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup, or you can try substituting dried cherries.

Granola bars with fruit filling
Toast the nuts in a 375° oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly colored and fragrant. Cool completely.
1¼ c dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1¼ c dried apples, coarsely chopped
1¼ c dried cranberries, unsweetened preferred (see note)
1/2 c granulated sugar
2½ c water
For the dough:
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c quick-cooking oats
1 c light-brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
20 Tbsp (2½ sticks) cold unsalted butter cut into ½” pieces
3 oz honey (1/3 c plus 1 tablespoon)
1½ c sweetened coconut flakes
1 c toasted pecans or almonds or a combination of both
1/2 c sunflower seeds, roasted and salted

In a medium saucepan, combine the first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, until the liquid is absorbed and the fruit is fully hydrated, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375° and line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment. Place the flour, oats, light-brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and honey and process until pieces of butter are no larger than a small pea, about a dozen 1-second pulses. (Do not overprocess!) Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Place the coconut, pecans and/or almonds and the sunflower seeds in the food processor bowl. Process until the nuts are well broken up, about eight 1-second pulses. Transfer to the large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, gently mix the two batches of ingredients together until well combined. When fully incorporated, the dough will look like lumpy wet sand. Add about two thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and gently pat down into an even layer.
Reserve the remaining portion (about 3 generous cups) in a cool place until needed. Bake until medium golden brown, about 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and evenly spread the fruit compote over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining dough in an even layer over the fruit. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the topping is dark golden brown. (Under-baked bars will be damp and greasy.) Cool completely before cutting. Makes about two dozen 1-by-3” bars.
Jam filling variation You may substitute homemade or low-sugar jam for the fruit compote, but the bars will lose some chewiness.

 
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