Granola Bars

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Bars, poured and rolled

In the process of cutting

I cut away the rough edges, which were great for snacking on at home

Packaged and ready to go!

(Sorry for the bad quality of the photos. My dinky little point and shoot just isn't cutting it. Hoping for a nicer camera - an entry-level DSLR - before the baby gets here!)


I love snacks... always have. One of the things I have liked best about pregnancy is that you're encouraged to eat small meals and snack frequently. The key is making the most of each snack. If I have an apple and peanut butter in the morning, I'll have a stick of cheese or a boiled egg in the afternoon to balance out the food groups, and then maybe a small cup of nutty granola and fat free milk after dinner.

The challenge is snacking on the go. I can't keep string cheese in my purse all the time, and we tend to finish Kashi bars pretty quickly around here, which adds up if I want to have some handy on a regular basis. So when I saw this recipe for granola bars with a decent dose of protein, I knew I wanted to make them. I already had all of the ingredients on hand, though I made some changes, and will change more the next time I make them.

The recipe, with my tweaks and suggestions:

2 cups old-fashioned oats (I used instant because that's all I had, but steel cut would be better)

1/2 c. flax seed, milled

1/4 c. quinoa (it's not clear in the recipe, but you add this dry)

3/4 c. shelled sunflower seeds (use unsalted, the peanut butter plus added salt is plenty)

1 c. chopped nuts (any kind or combination) (I used almonds)

1 c. shredded coconut (unsweetened is best)

1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon (desired amount) (I added the full teaspoon, plus some ground ginger)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar or your favorite natural sweetener (I added way less than this - maybe 1/4 a cup)

1/2 c. honey (I used a mixture of honey and agave nectar)

2 tsp. molasses

4 T. butter (I cut this in half - did one tablespoon butter and one generous tablespoon coconut oil)

2 tsp. vanilla

4 T. peanut butter (I used Target brand's natural organic peanut butter - my favorite. I definitely recommend a natural peanut butter, as it has a thinner texture than, say, JIF, and works well in this recipe. Almond butter would be good too.)

1 c. dried, chopped fruit (optional) (I used Target's Archer Farms Superfood mix, with pomegranate, blueberry, cherry and cranberry - didn't chop it)

I also sneaked in: 

A scant 1/4 c. oat bran

2 T. wheat germ

1 T. chia seeds/solba (I would have added more but that's all I had)

1. mix first 8 ingredients together and place on a rimmed baking sheet. toast in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. stir and let cool at least 15 minutes. Watch this closely; the coconut around the edge of the pan burned at about 12 minutes, but it wasn't a big deal.

2. bring next 4 ingredients to a simmer, stirring continuously. stir in the vanilla and peanut butter and cool for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. put the toasted ingredients and dried fruit in a large bowl and pour the liquid ingredients over it. mix very well.

4. place parchment or wax paper in the rimmed baking sheet and butter the top side, then place the granola bar mixture in the pan. put another butter sheet of paper, buttered side down, on top of the mixture and press down. roll with a rolling pin to make it very tight, smooth, and even. Don't worry about rolling it into a perfect rectangle. Just get the basic shape, and when it comes time to cut, you can trim off the uneven edges and snack on those separately.

5. let set for 2-3 hours (in the fridge) and cut into desired bar size. makes about 20-24 bars (I cut them the size - area, not thickness - of Kashi bars and it made 32). package in snack size bags or an airtight container (I rolled them individually in plastic wrap since I knew we'd be eating them on the go and I didn't want to use that many snack bags). if not using within next few days, store in freezer (we stored the wrapped bars in the fridge). they keep very well, and thaw quickly. (really yummy frozen, too!) 

I should have taken more pictures during the actual baking/cooking/mixing process, but I didn't think to. I will tell you these were a huge hit. They really sustain you and are tasty, to boot. I calculated the nutrition info of the bars with my changes. See below. And happy snacking!