Homemade Granola Bar Recipe - (No high fructose corn syrup in these bars!)

11th April 2008

Homemade Granola Bar Recipe - (No high fructose corn syrup in these bars!)

posted in Joyful Abode Shop, Recipes, Illustrations, Food, How-To |

If you’ve done much reading on this blog, you know that I love to cook and eat delicious foods. Unfortunately, they’re not all the healthiest choices, so my husband and I have decided to make more of an effort to plan healthy, lower-fat, lower starch, higher fiber, more veggie-filled meals. I also made a list of healthful snacks we should try to have on hand.

On the list was granola bars.

But do you know what??? They’re not all healthy! Some of the granola bars you can buy in stores may as well be candy bars, with the amount of sugar and “fluff” they include in their ingredients. And most of them (except Kashi) also have high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. Disgusting. While I love Kashi granola bars, the guy and I tend to go through a bunch of those, so it gets pretty expensive.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands. After reading tons of granola bar recipes (and throwing out the ones that sounded like disguised candy), I came up with my own mixture that works deliciously well to create healthful, filling granola bars. If I eat half of one of these and a small piece of fruit, I’m good to go for several hours. And it makes me happy knowing that I didn’t eat anything disgusting to feel full.

homemade granola bar recipe

So here’s my recipe. Let me know if you try it out!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your ingredients:

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts, crushed
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.

crushing peanuts

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.

toasted grains and nuts

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (I forgot to take a picture of this step, but it looks so pretty!)

By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

granola bar recipe

Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

granola bar recipe

Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

granola bar recipe

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

granola bar recipe

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.

Then, open the waxed paper …

granola bar recipe

And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

granola bar recipe

Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

granola bar recipe

I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).

granola bars individually wrapped

Enjoy!

granola bars - homemade

Of course, you can mix up the recipe. I used peanuts because they’re what we had, but next time I’m going to make the granola nutless at first, but during the pressing-down part, I plan to press almonds into the top of the bars.

Another combo that would be fun to try is macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut flakes.

Or try dried cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate chips (just a few).

I also plan to add flax seed to my granola mix.

Different flavors of honey would also probably change the final outcome too. Mmm…

So many options! Good thing we have time! Be sure to write down all of your delicious variations on adorable recipe cards so you won’t forget them! I’ve got several designs in the shop, so check them out!

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d really appreciate it.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 10:12 am and is filed under Joyful Abode Shop, Recipes, Illustrations, Food, How-To. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On April 11th, 2008, Becca said:

I am going to have to try these. They look good!

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am

2 On April 11th, 2008, MrPuffy said:

They look wonderful. Thank you for sharing what looks like a great recipe!

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

3 On April 11th, 2008, Kris said:

Any idea what to use instead of oats in this? (I can’t help it, I love the concept of granola bars, but I cannot stand the texture of oats in anything other than proper oatmeal.)

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

4 On April 11th, 2008, Mrs. Maze said:

This is the best idea! I’m so doing this for me and my husband! Thanks for posting this!!!

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

5 On April 11th, 2008, Joyful Abode said:

Becca - let me know how you like them!

Mr.Puffy - You’re so welcome

Kris - I’m not sure, but I was thinking about (for the next batch) reducing the oats and using some puffed rice cereal (like rice crispies) in its place. Probably anything similarly textured would work though.

Mrs. Maze - I hope you two enjoy it!

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

6 On April 11th, 2008, ctmott said:

What a great recipe..Will have to copy it down..I’m all about good food and no junk in it..Thanks.

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

7 On April 11th, 2008, RobinSue said:

Ok- I am so glad to see this recipe. I always have problems with the baked granola bars because they seem to burn on the edges while the center is still “raw”. So I can handle the toasting part and heating the other things in the saucepan. I will have to try these. We have nut allergies so I am happy that this can be modified. Nice pictures too!

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 2:44 pm

8 On April 11th, 2008, Caroline your sister said:

Mmmmmm….. The boy and I were thinking of getting some nice granola bars for breakfasts but I think I’ll try this instead. I think I can get some lovely bulk ingredients including flax probably at the Food Co-op. Love that place. Is it really cheaper in the end?

posted on April 11th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

9 On April 12th, 2008, Jenn S. said:

Thanks for the great recipe! I’ve been making my own granola for ages, but I’ve never made bars! I just whipped up a batch, which are now cooling, and it is taking alot of willpower to wait for them to cool!

I added 3T of unsweetened fresh ground peanut butter to the wet ingredients as well as a tsp of cinnamon. I also used cashews in place of peanuts, unsweetened coconut, and for dried fruit - cranberries & apples. YUM!

Thanks for the recipe!

posted on April 12th, 2008 at 7:33 am

10 On April 12th, 2008, LSKcrochet said:

Very nice! Looks very yummy!

Your blog is wonderful! Best Wishes!

posted on April 12th, 2008 at 10:51 am

11 On April 12th, 2008, Dave said:

Kris: How about using puffed wheat instead of oats? Or a mix of puffed rice and puffed wheat. The puffed wheat is a bit more tender than the puffed rice so they wouldn’t crumble, but they might crush a bit…

I’ve got to try these, I guess I know what I’m going to be doing tonight!

posted on April 12th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

12 On April 12th, 2008, Claire’s Cake Bake and Other Foodiness » Blog Archive » Granola Breakfast Bars said:

[…] I came across this recipe via tastespotting. Now I’ve been on the look out for something like this for ages and […]

13 On April 12th, 2008, Allison said:

Oh, I’ve been looking for a decent recipe like this for ages for a *proper* snack. Thank you!

posted on April 12th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

14 On April 15th, 2008, Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said:

Ohhhh thank you for this! I’ve attempted before and failed cuz they fell apart. I never heated the mixture to cool, nor did I press down. Thank you! I will let you know how it comes out!

posted on April 15th, 2008 at 6:19 am

15 On April 16th, 2008, Shylah said:

I love this! I will definitely have to try them.

posted on April 16th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

16 On April 17th, 2008, Niall Harbison said:

Hi there

I just found your blog through stumbleupon and am loving the design, nice and clean and simple. The recipes are looking nice as well and can certainly see myself making some of them in the future. I am actually looking for people with excellent food photos who want to share them with the world and interact with other foodies. I started by blogging myself about a year ago and was frustrated that not enough people were seeing the quality content I had and saw huge potential for people to share their food photos and videos with a bigger audience and ultimately drive more traffic back to their own site. Check me out at www.ifoods.tv and let me know what you think and keep up the good work on the blog!

posted on April 17th, 2008 at 8:29 am

17 On April 17th, 2008, Expat Mom said:

I am so making these for quick snacks around here! We are constantly on the lookout for yummy, healthy food that is super fast and these are ideal. Thanks.

posted on April 17th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

18 On April 21st, 2008, Tizzalicious said:

Yum, they look delicious!

posted on April 21st, 2008 at 3:46 pm

19 On April 21st, 2008, cestovatela said:

I made these this afternoon and they were great. I used minced crystallized ginger instead of dried fruit, which I love but might not suit everyone’s taste. I also subbed slivered almonds for the peanuts and flax seeds for the sunflower seeds. I loved the texture of the flax seeds and will definitely use them again.

I also stacked a pile of heavy cookbooks on top of the finished mixture because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to press down hard enough. It compacted everything nicely and saved me some work!

posted on April 21st, 2008 at 10:32 pm

20 On April 26th, 2008, Emily said:

These look so delicious!! Can you tell me if they are crunchy or chewy granola bars? Thanks.

posted on April 26th, 2008 at 5:41 pm

21 On April 27th, 2008, Joyful Abode said:

Emily, they are chewy, but the nuts and things like that add crunch.

posted on April 27th, 2008 at 7:03 am

22 On April 28th, 2008, Knitsational said:

These look delish!

posted on April 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

23 On May 4th, 2008, Alain Mokbel said:

This looks an amazing recipe and I really do enjoy the pictures. I also have another recipe on my blog at http://fitnessplanpro.com/homemade-granola-bar-recipe/

posted on May 4th, 2008 at 9:48 am

24 On May 5th, 2008, Lindy said:

Hi- This recipe sounds great but it would be so helpful to have it published in a printer-friendly format!?! I would love to add it to my recipe book but didn’t what to print it with all the pictures! I will have to hand write it out. Just a thought…

Thanks - Lindy

posted on May 5th, 2008 at 6:36 am

25 On May 10th, 2008, Karen said:

Hi I saw these posted on Tastespotting and they were just what I was looking for, so thank you. I made some last week and they turned out great, perfect for my mid-afternoon pick me up snack
I think I will take out the vanilla next time though and maybe add more honey instead of sugar, as they were a bit too sweet, still tasty though.

posted on May 10th, 2008 at 8:18 pm

26 On May 12th, 2008, Sally Smith said:

Just made these. They are amazing. I love the nutty taste. Thanks for the brilliant recipe.

Sally xxx

posted on May 12th, 2008 at 9:04 am

27 On May 14th, 2008, Lucy said:

These look so wonderful. I can’t wait to try them with my family. I love whole grain goodness and try to work it in where ever I can. I have several whole great recipes on my blog already.

posted on May 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

28 On May 20th, 2008, Wendy said:

Thanks so much for posting this recipe! I’ve made these twice now and absolutely love them. I’ve passed the URL on to several friends now too and they’ve been a hit with everyone who’s tried them. I even blogged about it: http://wendolonia.com/blog/2008/05/18/may-daily-18-home-made-granola-bars/

posted on May 20th, 2008 at 5:36 pm

29 On May 29th, 2008, Lauren C. said:

Oh, thank you for this recipe! My husband has bad reactions to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) but needs good handy snacks when his blood sugar drops. These look wonderful and the pictures are great! I think I’ll try to make several batches of these and freeze them. Thanks again!

posted on May 29th, 2008 at 7:36 am

30 On May 30th, 2008, Donielle said:

These are great! I’ve made them 3 times already in the last few weeks. I keep trying to save them for my husband for work, but they’re to yummy!
Awesome recipe!

posted on May 30th, 2008 at 10:43 am

31 On June 1st, 2008, yayanana said:

I substituted ground Flax seed for the Wheat Germ, 2 C Bob’s Red Milll 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal(whole grain rolled wheat, rolled rye, rolled oats, flaxseed, rolled barley and rolled triticale)for the Oats, and 2 C Target’s Raw Almond, Cashew and Dried Cranberries Trail mix for the Fruits and Nuts. EXCELLENT! Now if I could just get them to stick together without so much sugar.

posted on June 1st, 2008 at 11:51 am

32 On June 2nd, 2008, fruityana said:

I’m going to save this for my weekend project! These homemade granola bars sound and look absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try them!

Thank you for sharing!

posted on June 2nd, 2008 at 1:32 pm

33 On June 5th, 2008, Ms. Kari said:

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Finally, a tummy friendly granola bar and NO COCONUT.
I must be in heaven.
What a delicious bar, and it’s fun to try different variations.

posted on June 5th, 2008 at 8:06 am

34 On June 5th, 2008, Pieces said:

Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been on the hunt for one without corn syrup and have had awful luck finding one that tasted good. I’m excited to give this one a try!

posted on June 5th, 2008 at 8:52 am

35 On June 5th, 2008, Lisa said:

My kids, ages 9 and 3, are madly in love with granola bars, but I cringe at the thought of all the HFCS. I can’t wait to make these with my oldest daughter, who is fast becoming a little foodie herself. These will be a huge hit on the last day of school next week!

posted on June 5th, 2008 at 9:20 am

36 On June 14th, 2008, Emily said:

This looks like a great recipe. I have tried many, and from your pictures and responses I have greta hope in these. Can’t wait to make them and tell you how they turned out!

Thanks for sharing
Emily

posted on June 14th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

37 On June 17th, 2008, Linda said:

They are the best. We tried them and everyone loved them. Thank you for sharing.

posted on June 17th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

38 On June 29th, 2008, MEK said:

Thanks for the fantastic recipe! I’m allergic to gluten so I made a gluten-free version by using gluten-free oats (http://www.onlyoats.ca/only-oats) and substituting flax seed for the wheat germ. It’s so satisfying to have homemade gluten-free power bars!

And I added dried sour cherries as the fruit—yum.

posted on June 29th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

39 On June 29th, 2008, Brody Vegas said:

Best receipt for gluten free bars ever, so easy and super yummy. try adding chunky peanut butter.. mmmmmm

posted on June 29th, 2008 at 11:54 pm

40 On July 5th, 2008, Alessandra said:

These are so good. I found out that if you want to put nuts or whatnot on the tops of them, it’s best to scatter them on the bottom of the pan. They don’t stick so well to the top.
My favorite variation uses toasted coconut, dried cherries, dried strawberries, dates and cashews. Thanks for the recipe.

posted on July 5th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

41 On July 10th, 2008, Gabreial said:

Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve been searching and searching for a Granola recipe and one for bars without High Fructose Corn Syrup. I’m glad I found this recipe. I’ll be making it tonight with some minor fruit/nut changes for our road trip!

Thank you!

posted on July 10th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

42 On July 11th, 2008, Suzanne said:

Your recipe looks awesome. I’m allergic to peanuts so I’ll prob substitute almonds instead. I’ve been looking everywhere for a good granola bar recipe. Have you tried making it with agave? Agave is a natural sweetener that some people use in lieu of sugar. I’m trying to cut out sugar in my diet completely and found that a lot of the granola bar recipes out there use honey and brown sugar.

posted on July 11th, 2008 at 12:20 am

43 On July 16th, 2008, Cheri said:

I love sneaking healthy supplements into my childrens food and have two with anaphylactic food allergies so now want to find a non-soy protein bar for one of them. I think this recipe will do it with a few modifications. I much prefer maple syrup to honey and plan to add whey protein powder, flaxseed oil, dried cherries and dark mini chocolate chips to this recipe. I can’t wait to try it tonight (and get my 9 year old son to help) and will repost his reaction. Thanks so much.

posted on July 16th, 2008 at 11:59 am

44 On July 22nd, 2008, Lisa said:

I made them and they are awesome!

posted on July 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm

45 On July 24th, 2008, Maggie said:

I just made a variation of these. I didn’t have oatmeal but had the Bob’s Red Mill 5-grain hot cereal, so I used that. No peanuts except shelled ones, so I used finely-chopped walnuts. I didn’t have sunflower seeds, so I used some flax meal and some wheat bran. I also used toasted wheat germ and raisins. In the wet ingredients, I increased the butter a little bit and used dark brown sugar. I also added about 2 tbsp. of blackstrap molasses for iron. When I melted the sugars, I let them carmelize with the butter and the flavor is unbelieveable. They are still hardening, but I ate what was left on the spoon (which hardened quickly and well, maybe because I cooked the sugars a little longer?) and the results are amazing. THANK YOU for this recipe!!! It lends itself to all kinds of variation!!!

posted on July 24th, 2008 at 11:15 am

46 On July 25th, 2008, Denise said:

I am making this recipe, with my own variations, of course, this weekend, and will try to post how they turned out soon afterward. Looks/sounds absolutely wonderful!

I am replying to Lindy’s comment posted in May:
Just copy and paste all the words that you want to use, from the recipe, into Word (or whatever word processing program you have). Then, print it out. Hope that helps.

Have a happy, healthy day, everyone!

posted on July 25th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

47 On August 3rd, 2008, Yogita said:

Hello!

Inspirational!!!

I found your recipe very simple, and indeed healthy. I just tried it out, and I licked the remains off the pan till it looked ready to go right back on the shelf!

I wanted to add my 2-cents worth:
I began making the granola and only half-way realised that I neither had brown sugar, nor butter. So I looked into my cabinet and pulled out jaggery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggery and http://www.pbase.com/digitalfestival/image/56360922). This is a product made either of sugarcane or of date-palm. The kind I used was very dark brown and I think it is made form date palm with a superb depth of taste. As far as the butter went, I decided to take a chance do without it.

AND… much to delight it works perfectly without the butter! So those of you wanting to shave off some more calories, can make this without the butter (provided you’re using jaggery, I suppose)

Thanks! Great inspiration!

posted on August 3rd, 2008 at 7:04 am

48 On August 4th, 2008, Christy said:

I was just wondering: does there absolutely HAVE to have 4 tbs. of butter?

posted on August 4th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

49 On August 5th, 2008, Joyful Abode said:

Christy, the person above you used jaggery and no butter, which worked for her!

I’m really glad everyone is enjoying the recipe (and making their own variations of it, of course)!

posted on August 5th, 2008 at 5:06 am

50 On August 7th, 2008, suzanne said:

fantastic website, recipe, and pics!

posted on August 7th, 2008 at 7:35 pm

51 On August 10th, 2008, Marie said:

Just made these and they are setting, I also ate what was left on the spoon. Soooo good!! I love this and will be back to this site. thank you for a healthy version of granola bars.

posted on August 10th, 2008 at 9:14 am

52 On August 11th, 2008, Laura said:

For Lindy who wanted a printer friendly version. I copied the whole recipe and pasted it to a Word document, then went through and deleted the pictures one at a time. It was much faster then cutting and pasting the individual directions. It also made sure I didn’t miss any instructions. Next I highlighted the whole word document and changed the font from normal (web) to normal. That made it so the whole recipe fit on one page. Now that I’ve printed the recipe, it’s time to make some granola bars for me!

posted on August 11th, 2008 at 8:39 am

53 On August 15th, 2008, Michael Rosati said:

This is, by far, head and shoulders above ANY other internet recipe I have found. I have to actually hide these from my son so he doesn’t eat them all up in 2 or 3 days. Bravo, ma’am!!!!

posted on August 15th, 2008 at 8:42 am

54 On August 20th, 2008, Heather Legler said:

Good recipe. The pics helped a lot.

posted on August 20th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

55 On August 25th, 2008, Diane said:

Excellent!! I have made 6 batches this summer. The original recipe is good but it is so easy to personalize it. I made peanut and chocolate chip ones for the kids. I loved the walnut, cranberry, lemon rind, and crystallized ginger ones. The toasted coconut, almond, and cranberry were good too! A delicious, quick, healthy snack - I will never buy bars again.

A couple tips - put them into cookie sheet for thinner, crispy bars or try a 9×9 pan for thicker, chewier bars…both are good. I hate to turn on the oven in the summer so I toasted the oat mix on the stovetop in a large skillet. Put the oats and nuts/seeds in first then add wheat germ toward the end of toasting as it burns easily. Keep stirring them so they all get toasted without burning. The vanilla is optional depending on the other flavors that you use. You really don’t need to spray the waxed paper, it has never stuck to mine. I do wrap them individually for easy access and freshness.

Try it, you will like it! Thanks for the recipe!!!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

56 On August 29th, 2008, Emily said:

I made 3 batches in the last 2 days just to experiment. They are so good! I hate sunflower seeds as a rule, so I use flax seeds instead and they have a great naturally toasty flavor. And I find the honey a bit overpowering so I’ve been trying ways to decrease that while still keeping the “glue” consistency. I modified with peanut butter and raspberry jam to replace the honey, used almonds in place of half the peanuts, and dried apricots, with some oat bran thrown in since I had it on hand. That’s my favorite so far. Then I used almonds, toasted coconut (1 c.), with just a reduced amount of honey. Good but still honey-strong. I think next I’ll try some coconut milk with just a few tablespoons of honey. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this recipe, and the photos are fantastic.

Question: any idea how they freeze?

posted on August 29th, 2008 at 6:57 am

57 On September 2nd, 2008, Joyful Abode said:

Emily, no idea how they freeze… I can’t imagine there would be a problem though!
Your variations sound so good. I agree about it being a bit on the honey-sweet side. Did the peanut butter and jam really help it stick together? What a good idea!

posted on September 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am

58 On September 5th, 2008, Kerry-Lea said:

I am trying these for the 1st time today. So far, they look great. But they haven’t cooled yet, so I await the final result. I snipped some “dried plums” into my mixed fruit (don’t tell my kids that they are really prunes), and I think that may add sweetness, so may need to back off on the other sweeteners. Does anyone have any experience with using “dried plum” as a sweetener replacement (i.e. a puree of such), would it work in granola bars? Too weird??

Question for Diane–did you have trouble w/ your chocolate chips melting? Mine look all melty, but maybe it will not be a problem once they cool.

Question for Emily (that’s my daughter’s name, too!)–can you tell me the proportions for the peanut butter and jam (PB&J!) substitutions. I could probably figure it out, but why reinvent the wheel.

Thanks so much for any and all feedback.

posted on September 5th, 2008 at 9:03 am

59 On September 9th, 2008, colleen said:

I added whole flax seeds and used olive oil instead of butter. Very easy. Yum.

posted on September 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

60 On September 10th, 2008, Tammy Benson said:

We love this recipe. we made a batch with chopped dried apricots & shredded coconut. Today we made another big batch with golden raisins and chopped carob chips. YUM!!!!!!!

posted on September 10th, 2008 at 8:06 am

61 On September 11th, 2008, amy k said:

thanks so much for this idea! i am in the middle of trying it but have made some alterations. I added wheat germ and flax seed and used a little molasses for binding because I didn’t have enough honey.

posted on September 11th, 2008 at 11:02 am

62 On September 13th, 2008, Sadia said:

I just made these. Delicious, and a hit with *both* my two-year-olds - a difficult achievement indeed. I didn’t have sunflower seeds, and switched out the crushed peanuts for slivered almonds. For fruit, I used 1 cups chopped dates, 3/4 cup raisins and a handful of dried cranberries. They were a little sweet for my taste with all the extra fruit. I’ll definitely try the sunflower seeds next time.

posted on September 13th, 2008 at 5:15 pm

63 On September 14th, 2008, Jenny B said:

thanks for the wonderful recipe. delicious!! ever since i made my 1st batch my mind has been churning with fruit and nut combinations to try next. the possibilities are endless.

posted on September 14th, 2008 at 7:56 am

64 On September 14th, 2008, Diane said:

How do you add chocolate chips to this recipe without them melting? I added some dark chocolate chips and they all melted. Any ideas?

posted on September 14th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

65 On September 18th, 2008, Dane said:

Does anybody know what the nutrition facts would be on these bars? (the original recipe… or something close to it.)
thanks!

posted on September 18th, 2008 at 6:04 am

66 On September 19th, 2008, Becky said:

Can I just tell you how wonderful these are? I am thrilled that I ran across this recipe! I have 9 children and am always on the lookout for something filling and yummy for school lunches. In the last week I’ve made 6 batches! Thanks so much!

posted on September 19th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

67 On September 20th, 2008, Sharon said:

I made these last night, and also made some alterations. I used Splenda Blend brown sugar,as I have bags of different alternatives on hand from myown testing. (this made the “glue” rather dark, but still good). I also added dried cranberries, blueberries, apricots, and some raisins. I cut back a bit on the sugar and the honey. After toasting the oats, which I added sunflower seeds to, I added the coconut and mini chocolate chips, rather late, as I was doing three things at once, so my choclate chips did not melt. I also added soy peanut butter to the “glue”, as my kids can’t take peanuts to school(I may have to dump the sunflower seeds as well). Anyway I cut them up this morning and they were very good. I cut them into bite size squares and my son ran off with the container. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. With three kids of my own, and quite often double that with friends, if I can give them something healthy, that doesn’t come in a shiny package and they love it, HURRAY!

posted on September 20th, 2008 at 5:41 am

68 On September 20th, 2008, Matt said:

muy excelente! These are SO tasty, and good for you, and easily half the price of the store bought ones, which I have always looked at with suspicion as to their real nutrive value. I thought they were a tad too sweet - next time I’m going to delete the sugar, but toss in a few semisweet chocolate chips into the glue. I used locally produced dark honey, and I’m going to buy raw wheat germ for the next batch - I used Kretchmer’s toasted, and it does not make sense to toast it twice.

posted on September 20th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

69 On September 21st, 2008, denise said:

thanks for the inspiration!

posted on September 21st, 2008 at 4:59 pm

70 On September 21st, 2008, Susan said:

I made these today and find them to be absolutely delicious. I was disappointed that mine didn’t hold together as well as those in the picture, but I’ll blame that on the type of honey I used (it was thin consistency cranberry honey). Next time I’ll use the thick local honey I have available.

I accidentally cut out the brown sugar (maybe that was part of the stickiness problem) and am glad I did because they are sweet enough without it for me. I added dried cranberries, replaced peanuts with cashews, and excluded the sunflower seeds. I also added a little bit of apple granola I had on hand. It all worked together well and was super easy to put together. Yay for not having to buy expensive granola bars anymore! These are healthier too.

Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making them again.

-Susan

posted on September 21st, 2008 at 6:34 pm

71 On September 21st, 2008, MessyMom said:

my husband has now made these with raisins, dried blueberries, dried mango, chocolate chip/peanut and peanut butter — not mixed together, but a new batch every weekend and we all love them! He does not use the sunflower seeds. He runs regularly and needs the calories, as does my 11 year old daughter. I just think they are yummy
Thanks!!

posted on September 21st, 2008 at 6:45 pm

72 On September 24th, 2008, Tricia said:

I used sesame seeds instead of the sunflower seeds, which was initially an accident, but turned out so dang good I’m going to have to do it again. Sesame seeds really boost the protein content, but they also up the fat considerably (I used this recipe analyzer to figure out my nutrition data: http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/recipe_analysis.php). I also substituted wheat bran for the wheat germ. With that same substitution on the next batch, I could probably cut down on the syrup some. My next plan is to try maple syrup instead of the honey and to use dried blueberries. They’d be blueberry pancake granola bars.

Thanks so much for the excellent recipe!

posted on September 24th, 2008 at 8:30 am

73 On September 26th, 2008, Liane said:

Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe! I linked to your site from my blog, hope you don’t mind.

posted on September 26th, 2008 at 1:02 am

74 On September 27th, 2008, Alyson said:

Loved these and will definately make them again…will double the batch next time

posted on September 27th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

75 On October 4th, 2008, Evan said:

Hey, I love the picture and easy to follow instructions, but you must know that by heating the nuts over 350 degrees farenheit you’re turning all those good polyunsaturated fats into trans-saturated fats… not so healthy :S

especially if you plan to add flax seeds, you must know this! sunflower seeds, peanuts, flax, all full of poly’s that will turn right into trans.

try baking them at 350 or lower. it takes longer, but if you’re looking for healthy, it’s kinda neccessary.

oh, and try hemp seeds!

posted on October 4th, 2008 at 11:31 am

76 On October 5th, 2008, Helene said:

I just made the granola bars and I have 2 comments: (1)I first tried to toast the dry stuff in the oven, stirring every 5 minutes at 350 for about 30 minutes, but nothing happened, so I moved it to the stovetop; that worked except the flax seemed to burn before everything else. What did I do wrong? Should I have used a higher temperature than 350? (2)after cooling, it was still crumbly; next time I’ll use more glue. What do you think?

posted on October 5th, 2008 at 1:47 pm

77 On October 10th, 2008, Booh said:

Using calories from a calories website i did some simple math. The total batch has roughly 3903 calories. So when cutting these down for yourself if you are replacing store bought, you want to aim for making between 20 and 24 bars. These are so much better for you then store bought and calories aren’t everything but unfortunately they do count. I found the best way to do this was to actually make two pans, that way each is thinner over all. This makes getting 24 bars far simpler. I have included my math below for those interested.

• 2 cups oats 607*2 = 1214
• 3/4 cup wheat germ 432 * .75 = 324
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds 745 *.75 = 559
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed 166 = 166
• 2/3 cup brown sugar 836 * .66 = 552
• 1/2 cup honey 1031 * .5 = 516
• 4 Tbsp butter 102 * 4 = 408
• 2 tsp vanilla extract = 0
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt = 0
• approximately 8 oz. dried fruit 85 * 5 = 680
• Total Calories = 3903

posted on October 10th, 2008 at 10:16 am

78 On October 10th, 2008, Ruby said:

Hi:
I’m late to reading this but I made a recipe without butter, without brown sugar and only 1/2 cup of honey (blueberry honey actually.) I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and used sugarless, saltless peanut butter. About 3 tbls. You can also toast the nuts in a greaseless non-stick fry pan but not too hot.

It makes the bars vegan friendly and cuts out a lot of extra fat and sugar you don’t need. Add a bit of safflower oil if you want the oil.

R

posted on October 10th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

79 On October 12th, 2008, Carolyn said:

Awesome recipe. We make these all the time - my family loves them. The only problem is that they disappear so fast! Our family needs to be mindful of saturated fat, so I substituted canola oil 1:1 for the butter. I also cut the sugar by half and they are still very sweet.

I like to cut these up into bars, then put them on a cookie sheet (not touching) and freeze them. When they are well frozen, you can put them in a bag and then back into the freezer right away; they will not stick together. If you like your granola bars crunchy you can eat them right out of the freezer, or let them thaw for a bit to get the chewy texture. Great for the kids’ lunches. Thanks for the recipe!

posted on October 12th, 2008 at 6:12 am

80 On October 14th, 2008, JB said:

great granola, we will be making this again. Thanks for the great recipes; I look forward to trying some of your muffin and cookies recipes.

posted on October 14th, 2008 at 8:17 pm

81 On October 17th, 2008, Chelsey said:

I just finished making these, they are cooling but I keep picking off the edges! It’s delicious!!

I did make some changes, so I thought I’d share. I used flax instead of wheat germ because it was in bulk at winco and therefore cheaper. I also left out the dried fruit because my boyfriend can’t stand them. And I used a combination of crushed up unsalted peanuts with whole almonds. (Mostly almonds)

If you haven’t tried this recipe, try it! It will save you money and it really doesn’t take too long at all

posted on October 17th, 2008 at 7:58 am

82 On October 19th, 2008, Emily said:

Kerry-Lea, sorry I’m late to respond…but I tried to keep the ratios the same for the peanut butter and jelly. So the peanut butter replaced the butter to increase the protein and keep the fat relatively equal, and the jelly replaced the honey (1/2 c.). And they did stay together well. It was homemade raspberry jam from my mom, so not sure how the ingredients compare, but hope it works for you.

posted on October 19th, 2008 at 7:26 am

83 On November 14th, 2008, Sarah said:

Hello, I just want to say I love this recipe and have made it many times. I am allergic to nuts so I love putting sunflower seeds in the recipe. It’s such a wholesome food for my children and we are all just crazy about it! I’ve even got a few friends that I’ve given the recipe to. Thanks for sharing!

posted on November 14th, 2008 at 8:30 am

84 On November 17th, 2008, Brian said:

Thanks so much for the recipe, the bars are great and went quick. I used granola the first time I made them but now I am making another batch per the recipe.

posted on November 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am

85 On November 19th, 2008, Jocelyne said:

These were great!! I substituted soy nuts and puffed rice for the peanuts and threw in some coconut, flax seed and pumpkin seeds for good measure. The end result looked just like the picture, the bars held together really well and they were easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!

posted on November 19th, 2008 at 1:23 am

86 On November 19th, 2008, Mary said:

A friend brought these to our Titus 2 Tea and WOW they were awesome. My husband tried one and was sure they were store bought! This recipe is a keeper!

posted on November 19th, 2008 at 7:41 am

87 On November 20th, 2008, Eileen said:

THANK YOU FOR THIS. I had made granola bars but baked them in the oven after mixing the raw ingredients together. Those were overdone at the edges of my glass 9×13″ pan and a little underdone in the middle. I noticed one thing: While toasting the grains in the oven the wheat germ toasted more quickly than the larger grains and nearly burned. Next time I will give the grain mixture a pulse or two in the Cuisinart to make it a little finer/more uniform, or add the wheat germ near the end of the toasting. I added 3 T. raw flaxseed meal with the warm liquids (raw to preserve nutrients). Dried cranberries, walnuts or cashews, and a few chocolate chips were a hit combination in my other recipe. I will try homemade candied orange peel, dried cranberries and a little dark chocolate for the holidays, reducing sugar in the basic recipe. In another recipe, Hobbit Seed Cakes, which got me to the finals in a whole foods cooking contest, I used honey, oats, sesame seeds and dried apricots and drizzled melted dark chocolate over the top. Those were part angel, part devil, but at least healthier than candy (I hoped).

posted on November 20th, 2008 at 9:57 am

88 On November 25th, 2008, Dee said:

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this and use pics! So helpful and I spend too much on Kashi bars too!

posted on November 25th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

89 On December 4th, 2008, Jeanna said:

How long do these stay fresh?

posted on December 4th, 2008 at 8:24 am

90 On December 17th, 2008, Deb said:

Thank you so very much for the recipe and taken the pics they help bunches. We have tried several recipes and this is by far the best recipe we have found. Some alters that we do is use mixed nuts instead of the peanuts and also we have left them whole. Another thing is use splenda brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar as my husband can’t have the sugar content. Also we have put more nuts and left out the fruit for a more nutty version. Enjoying granola bars in Cold Michigan!!!

posted on December 17th, 2008 at 8:21 pm

91 On January 2nd, 2009, Susanna said:

Thank you for sharing!!! My family, especially my husband, have enjoyed these and are waiting for the next batch. Absolutely perfect!

posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pm

92 On January 6th, 2009, Jennifer said:

Well, I just happened upon your site looking for granola bars. They look DEEEELISH! I just made them (awaiting the cooling time to try them out!) I love fresh, homemade goods (bun dough is just about ready for me on the counter for fresh buns! YUM) I did change the peanuts out for almonds so the kids could take them to their “peanut-free” school. Also added in pumpkin seeds as they add great protein!! Thank you so much, I will be linking this recipe on my blog! I plan to look through yours…
thanks again,
Jennifer

posted on January 6th, 2009 at 12:12 pm

93 On January 8th, 2009, Sheri said:

Here is the recipe without the pics - can’t wait to try it!! looks AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing : )

So here’s my recipe. Let me know if you try it out!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your ingredients:

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts, crushed
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit
To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (I forgot to take a picture of this step, but it looks so pretty!)

By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.

Then, open the waxed paper …

And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).

Enjoy!

Of course, you can mix up the recipe. I used peanuts because they’re what we had, but next time I’m going to make the granola nutless at first, but during the pressing-down part, I plan to press almonds into the top of the bars.

Another combo that would be fun to try is macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut flakes.

Or try dried cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate chips (just a few).

I also plan to add flax seed to my granola mix.

Different flavors of honey would also probably change the final outcome too. Mmm…

So many options! Good thing we have time! Be sure to write down all of your delicious variations on adorable recipe cards so you won’t forget them! I’ve got several designs in the shop, so check them out!

posted on January 8th, 2009 at 8:27 am

94 On January 8th, 2009, Caley said:

My friend and i made these and they are delicious! So much better and cheaper then grocery store bars

posted on January 8th, 2009 at 11:55 pm

95 On January 9th, 2009, Sheri said:

OH MY GOD!!! THESE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! my kids 5 and 8 LOVED them!! Thank you for the recipe!!! I added dried apples and cinnamon and used flax seed and ground flax as my sub ingredients. AMAZING!! I am already making my 2nd batch!!

Sheri

posted on January 9th, 2009 at 6:17 am

96 On January 9th, 2009, Sheri said:

Does anyone know that when bake grnd flax - does it take away the good value of it?? I baked my dry ingredients at 300

posted on January 9th, 2009 at 6:28 am

97 On January 14th, 2009, Brittney said:

These turned out great!

When I made them, I also added 1/2 cup ground flax for extra fiber, and I bought a fruit/nut mix from a bulk food bin to save money and get a variety of nutrients.

SO hearty and crispy - or if you want them soft you can heat them up a little.

Also, I didn’t want to eat a whole bar full, so I pressed them into cooking-sprayed mini-muffin tins.

Thanks for sharing!

posted on January 14th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

98 On January 14th, 2009, Brittney said:

Oh, and about the flax, for Sheri:

As far as I have read, whole flax seeds benefit from grinding in terms of unlocking their nutrients. They have a hull that makes them mostly indigestible if left whole and raw - although some people do still eat them that way.

For toasting, I think it can unlock some nutrients if baked lightly in the oven (as this recipe calls for) but over the stove may be too hot. Also, one website post that I read online (can’t find it at the moment) recommends toasting flax to kill a certain compound in them that - in high doses - may supress thyroid function after awhile. I am no scientist, so I’m not sure about that, but it is something to consider…

posted on January 14th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

99 On January 17th, 2009, Danielle said:

Hey- Fantastic recipe! I keep coming back to it over and over and making it our own. The family love them and they are sooooo much better than the bought kind. Thank you! Danielle

posted on January 17th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

100 On January 18th, 2009, vaughn said:

Hey there-
I try to stick to healthier eating habits because I get “sick” just thinking about how much junk people eat now-a-days, and I want a healthier body! I was thrilled to find this recipe b/c I love granola bars! Thanx!

posted on January 18th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

101 On January 18th, 2009, Kristan said:

Great recipe! My husband and I love them!

posted on January 18th, 2009 at 7:04 pm

102 On January 18th, 2009, Shayna said:

I added unsweetened coconut and used lavender honey. It was really good. Thank you for the great recipe.

posted on January 18th, 2009 at 7:07 pm

103 On January 18th, 2009, Hope said:

Thanks for posting this recipe!

And I happened to notice your ring, which is exactly what I’m looking for as a wedding ring. Can you tell me where you got it? Celtic knots with a sapphire or other blue stone is exactly what I want.

posted on January 18th, 2009 at 7:11 pm

104 On January 22nd, 2009, Lois said:

I tried the granola bars. They were great, but the next morning they were hard as a brick. Any suggestions on what I may have done wrong?
Thanks

posted on January 22nd, 2009 at 2:25 pm

105 On January 22nd, 2009, Tracey said:

It is great to see a granola bar without corn syrup. My son has corn allergies and finding good tasting, healthy, snacks WITHOUT corn is difficult. i am going to give them a try.

posted on January 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm

106 On January 23rd, 2009, Paulette said:

Awesome recipe - can’t wait to try it out - I thought of adding flax seed to it as well - you can have a little fun mixing and matching healthy ingredients too. I’m with you - the good granola bars are too expensive. Nice website too!!! Paulette - Ottawa,Canada

posted on January 23rd, 2009 at 5:53 am

107 On February 2nd, 2009, Nathalie said:

Just tried this recipe last night and THEY ARE SOOOO YUMMY!!! I used almonds instead of peanuts and used 1 cup of dried cranberries. Much better than any granola bar available at the grocery store! Thank you so much for this recipe!

posted on February 2nd, 2009 at 8:27 am

108 On February 5th, 2009, Iain said:

I made these last night and they are absolutely delicious! I used soft dark brown sugar so there’s a hint of treacle about them. Definitely going to experiment with the ingredients a bit - it’s such a flexible recipe. Yo good lookin’ out, bars be dope!

posted on February 5th, 2009 at 8:44 am

109 On February 5th, 2009, susan said:

I use ground date sugar. It is natural fruit and has the sweet taste of sugar.

posted on February 5th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

110 On February 16th, 2009, omonow51 said:

Hey, i had to try this recipe the minute i saw it… but i didn’t have
wheat germ, so i added millet and just mixed it in with the oats etc.
and i didn’t put any salt in them. And the results were amazing, everyone loved them and my daughter took the last 4 home with her. I was so surprised!! She is a picky eater too.

posted on February 16th, 2009 at 12:08 pm

111 On February 17th, 2009, browngirl said:

Just wanted to say your recipe is awesome! I first found it about two months ago and have about 4 batches. I’m about to make a new batch for myself and a batch using millet instead of nuts as my picky-eater-vegetarian son won’t eat nuts. Thanx for an awesome and flexible recipe!

posted on February 17th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

112 On February 17th, 2009, RaeAnn said:

These were fabulous! I came across this recipe while trying to find granola bar recipes for the same reasons you mentioned - boughten ones were just disguised candy bars!! I made the first batch directly from your recipe, then started playing. Almonds are a very nice addition, but our favorites have to be dried cranberries and a handful of dark chocolate. Thanks for posting this!

posted on February 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

113 On February 18th, 2009, Catherine said:

My waxed paper stuck like crazy! So much for bringing these to work! Any idea what went wrong? I sprayed it and everything. I still haven’t been able to get it all off.

posted on February 18th, 2009 at 5:37 am

114 On February 19th, 2009, Adrienne said:

Thanks for this wonderful recipe! Here are a few ‘tweaks’ that worked for me:

For my first batch, I mistakenly boiled the syrup for longer than the recipe states, but it actually worked out fine and made the bars crispy-crunchy instead of soft-chewy. Delicious both ways.

Use parchment paper to line the pan and to press down the mixture. NOTHING sticks to parchment! My waxed paper stuck and I was forever picking out little pieces from both top and bottom, and I probably ate just as much.

I made a batch to send to my deployed husband - he and his men will love these! To ensure they made it to Iraq in good shape, I wrapped each bar in plastic and then FoodSaver-ed them, and included a ziploc bag for leftovers.

Adding flaxseeds makes them delicious, earthy, and full-flavored. Yum!

These are so good that you want to eat more than a few each time, but the butter in them requires some restraint on my part. I need to find a recipe that uses heart-healthy oil for my vegan son and for myself.

Thanks so much for these easy to make and delicious bars.

posted on February 19th, 2009 at 11:10 am

115 On February 22nd, 2009, Katie Valerio said:

I am def. going to try these but I am on a restricted diet that won’t allow me any refined sugars…so I am going to substitute the brown sugar for maple syrup..or maybe more honey. They look really really delicious though.

posted on February 22nd, 2009 at 10:20 am

116 On February 22nd, 2009, Christine said:

I just recently made these, adding flax seed and almonds. I also used blueberries, crasins, and goji berries. These were great and I will be using this recipe forever more!

posted on February 22nd, 2009 at 4:31 pm

117 On February 23rd, 2009, Liz said:

Push the chocolate chips into it after it is cooled. Works GREAT:) YUMMM! Thanks for sharing!

posted on February 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm

118 On February 24th, 2009, chris said:

Just made these. Had to alter a few things since I don’t like honey. I used Maple syrup and apricot jam, a mixture of yellow raisins, currants, chopped dried apricots and cranberries for the fruit. Also- foolishly added choc bits- they melted and so everything is chocolaty. Would add that later as a topping. Really appreciate the step by step process- it was very helpful. They taste TERRIFIC, but I still would not include the choc bits next time. Thanks!!!

posted on February 24th, 2009 at 10:59 am

119 On February 25th, 2009, Meghan said:

Hi,
I found this when I googled granola bars. I think you and I were like-minded because I agree with everything you typed before the recipe! I’ve been saying it for years processed foods are discusting!
Anyways I tried the recipe for my sister’s cross country team and altered a few things, instead of peanuts and sunflower seeds I used a nice mix of walnuts and pecans. For fruit I did half/half of Cranraisins and raisins.
I think you can taste too much of the honey so next time I’m going to either up the oats, decrease the honey, or decrease the sugar. Otherwise they turned out great! Thanks for making the recipe avaible. Nice photos by the way

posted on February 25th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

120 On February 27th, 2009, Melanie said:

Yum! I love homemade granola bars - they taste so much better then store-bought! In my recipe, I use sweetened condensed milk instead of honey.

posted on February 27th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

121 On February 28th, 2009, debi b said:

I just stumbled upon your blog in a search for a homemade granola bar recipe for my kids (with no HFC!!!!) and am so excited to see your recipe!
Can’t wait to try it!

posted on February 28th, 2009 at 2:43 pm

122 On March 5th, 2009, Alenxa said:

Made these for my allergic-to-everything husband for a road trip, and now he’s addicted. I used pumpkin seeds and crunched-up shredded wheat biscuits instead of nuts, flax meal instead of wheat germ (non-fishy omega-3’s!), canola oil instead of butter, a mix of sweet and tart dried cherries, and a heaping half-cup of mini chocolate chips. I tried waiting a while before adding the chips, as suggested by folks above, but apparently I didn’t wait long enough as the bars came out a little muddy and chocolate-coated. He doesn’t care.

Over the course of the trip, I noticed that the flavors in the bars seemed to mellow and blend, so that they got better over time. At the outset, the vanilla flavor was very strong; by the sixth day, it had equalized with the rest of the ingredients. I don’t know if this is a result of using fancy vanilla or if it’s something experienced by anyone who doesn’t eat the whole batch in a sitting. Either way, yum!

posted on March 5th, 2009 at 11:56 am

123 On March 6th, 2009, Sue said:

In response to Evan’s concerns that heating polyunsaturated fats turns them into trans-saturated fats. This isn’t accurate. Heating polyunsaturated fats adds a molecule of oxygen, not a molecule of hydrogen, so although the fats end up slightly more saturated, you don’t have trans fats. In fact, heating these oils to 350 will only cause a very small change. In order to cause major changes, you’d need to boil the oil for long periods, or under pressure.

Not to worry! You aren’t creating trans fats in your kitchen.

posted on March 6th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

124 On March 9th, 2009, Barbara Schranz said:

Thanks for this great spring board recipe! I too cleaned out the kitchen cupboard and had to make substitutions and the recipe still worked. One suggestion I have is to add warming spices to the ‘glue’ after you take it off the heat (should add the vanilla at that stage as well). I used Garam Masala blend with a little extra cinnamon, you could also use pumpkin or apple pie spice blends or make your own using cinnamon, nutmeg, alspice, and cloves.
It does not take much spice blend to give these granola bars a nice flavor - 1 tsp or less - so give it a try!

posted on March 9th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

125 On March 11th, 2009, Heather said:

was very good w/ apples and cinnamon!

posted on March 11th, 2009 at 11:11 am

126 On March 14th, 2009, Megan said:

These are delicious! This was my first attempt at making granola bars and I was truly impressed with how easy, healthy, and tasty they are! Thanks for a great recipe!

posted on March 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am

127 On March 17th, 2009, Kristal said:

I will be trying this recipe on Friday! We are having a food fair at my church I am volunteered to bring a healthy kids dish. This is perfect! I will let you know how they like it. Thanks for posting this.

posted on March 17th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

128 On March 17th, 2009, Shar said:

http://sharshomecookin.blogspot.com/2009/03/home-made-granola-bars.html

I made these today :))) i have the same thoughts as you about the kashi bar and finding a healthy bar!!

posted on March 17th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

129 On March 22nd, 2009, Ryan said:

Tried these, they are great!!! Probably the best granola bars I’ve ever eaten, much thanks given. If you were to coat these in chocolate, how long should you bake them and at what temp? Thank you

posted on March 22nd, 2009 at 12:28 pm

130 On March 23rd, 2009, Valerie said:

My son made these for a class project. We modified the recipe a little because he was only allowed to have a certain amount of sugar. We decreased the honey and brown sugar and used fat free peanut butter. It worked like a charm! His was voted the best in the class. We will definitely be making them for our own consumption.

posted on March 23rd, 2009 at 6:12 pm

131 On March 27th, 2009, Lori said:

Thanks for a great recipe! My only problem was that my wax paper stuck horribly to the bars and ripped off in tiny shreds. Any suggestions?

posted on March 27th, 2009 at 11:31 am

132 On April 1st, 2009, Annaliese said:

Tried this recipe, used chopped dates and currents as my fruit. SO SO good and extremely easy and a very short process. Just take a minute to have all ducks in a row before starting. Much better than store bought and a better deal as well.

posted on April 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pm

133 On April 3rd, 2009, Amie said:

Good recipe. Next time I will use less honey and brown sugar, as it was a bit too sweet to me. My husband thought they were great!

posted on April 3rd, 2009 at 7:49 pm

134 On April 6th, 2009, wendy said:

Love the recipe Thank you PB in place of honey with a little maple syrup works too I even grabbed a box of Cascadian Farm Organic granola and I never had to turn on the oven! Thanks for great recipe

posted on April 6th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

135 On April 8th, 2009, SallyHP said:

Thanks for this recipe! They look awesome, and with summer coming a snack to throw in the diaper bag and go is SO important. Granola bars are not only disguised candy but they’re EXPENSIVE! These are great…I’m going to try your coconut and dried pineapple suggestion, but with almonds still instead of macadamia.

posted on April 8th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

136 On April 11th, 2009, Irina said:

Great recipe thank you! I didn’t use butter or sugar, just half a cup of honey and half a cup of almond butter. I also used dates instead of the dry druit… perfect!

posted on April 11th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

137 On April 18th, 2009, Ashley said:

What is the purpose of the wheat germ?

posted on April 18th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

138 On April 18th, 2009, Joyful Abode said:

Wheat germ has a lot of protein, iron, potassium, vitamin E and other good stuff… if you want to leave it out the bars will taste fine. They just add a bit of “yay!” to the healthiness of the bars. (maybe to make up for all the sugar and butter? haha)

posted on April 18th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

139 On April 22nd, 2009, Gabi said:

Just made these and they are SO yummy!! I omitted the nuts, because we have a nut allergy in the house, but they are delish! Thanks. Oh, and I did add a handful of chocolate chips, but they melted. Maybe would omit them next time….
Thanks again,
Gabi

posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 am

140 On April 23rd, 2009, Reverend Wayne Reed said:

Great recipe! I made two batches. Batch 1 I forgot to heat the ‘glue’ and therefore mixed the ‘glue’ ingredients cold and then added the toasted oats, peanuts and sunflower seeds (I didn’t have wheat germ so I added additional oats). I also used a fat free butter substitute. They were still amazing! On batch two I heated the ‘glue’ and added some cinnamon and these bars are incredible. I trout fish in the mountains and need a lunch-type pick-me-up with my banana and these work! Thank you.

posted on April 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 am

141 On April 25th, 2009, Kim said:

In response to Post #77, the calories for a cup of peanuts is incorrect. One cup of peanuts = 854 calories. I am very conscious about the calories, too, so I thought everyone should know. I am not sure where the poster go 166 calories from. Perhaps that is for peanuts in their shells. The poster also multiplied the dry fruit by 5 ounces instead of 8 ounces. I get that the total calorie count per batch is 4846.

Beyond that, I have to say that they are fantastic bars, too! thanks for the recipe :>)

posted on April 25th, 2009 at 11:37 am

142 On April 28th, 2009, karen eastman said:

I have been making this recipe for my cafeteria at our university, they love it so much the posted in their newspaper. I triple the recipe and put into a cookie sheet, and it flies off the shelf. Great recipe.

posted on April 28th, 2009 at 8:24 pm

143 On April 29th, 2009, Amanda @ Mrs.W's Kitchen said:

Nicely done! I’m going to try these soon.

posted on April 29th, 2009 at 5:13 am

144 On April 29th, 2009, kimberly said:

this recipe is awesome!!! My husband and I can’t get enough of them!!! I use half the brown sugar and add in almonds. They are addictive!! Thanks so much!

posted on April 29th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

145 On April 30th, 2009, Kirsten said:

This recipe is phenomenal. It’s easy to follow, easy to customize, and the results are irresistibly delicious!

posted on April 30th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

146 On May 5th, 2009, Johna Moody said:

I love the recipe, the photography, can’t wait to begin; however, I would like to have a copy. How can we print this one?
Johna Moody

posted on May 5th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

147 On May 5th, 2009, Kat said:

This is basically Alton Brown’s recipe with variations. I like your omission of his baking step… makes it so much easier. I made variations of my own, and this recipe just works really well that way. Try Craisins as the fruit… yummy!

posted on May 5th, 2009 at 11:08 pm

148 On May 11th, 2009, Rita said:

This is the second time I’ve made these wonderful granola bars. Naturally I had to use my own variations here and there. I used pecans instead of peanuts and two different types of honey. I found that all the sweet ingredients made the bars just a little too rich for my taste so this time I omitted the brown sugar. I used agave syrup instead.

In general I just love this recipe. The photos are terrific and of great help. Kudos for coming up with this fantastic way of making a delicious granola bar.

By the way, I made up a batch for my trip to the West Coast so that I would have something quick and nutritious on the plane or on the road. Easy, breezy and yummy!

posted on May 11th, 2009 at 4:38 pm

149 On May 12th, 2009, Lisa said:

My family loves these granola bars. However my 10 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Insulin dependant diabetes and I now have to count her carbs. I wanted to post my results for others out there who may be diabetic or just trying to lose weight. Here are the total carb counts on all the ingredients.

2 cups oats - 108g of carbs
3/4 cup wheat germ - 108g of carbs
3/4 cup sunflower seeds - 12g of carbs
1 cup peanuts, crushed - 24g of carbs
2/3 cup brown sugar - 128g of carbs
1/2 cup honey - 136g of carbs
4 Tbsp butter - 0g of carbs
2 tsp vanilla extract - 0g of carbs (too minute to even bother counting but it is 1.4g of carbs per 2tsp)
1/2 tsp Kosher salt - 0g of carbs
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit - This will depend on the amount and types of dried fruit you add.

For the original recipe minus the dried fruit the total number of carbs is 516 carbs. The 2 different batches I made in one I added 2/3 cup craisins and 1/2 cup raisins which is 2 servings of each and the carb count on that is 148g of carbs and in the other I added 3/4 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup semi sweet baking chips and the carb count on that was 120g of carbs.

Now depending on how many bars you cut is obviously going to determine the carb count in each bar. The batch I made with the fruit if I cut them into 20 bars it would be 33g of carbs per bar and cut into 18 would be 36g of carbs per bar. The peanut butter chocolate chip one is cut into 20 bars is 32g of carbs and cut into 18 bars is 35g of carbs so really not much of a difference.

I did check and there is no carb saving by using Splenda brown sugar over regular because they are both 4g of carbs per serving.

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas of “glue” that would work besides honey and brown sugar that would be a little more carb friendly but still hold tight and taste good?

Overall this is a great recipe and my family loves it. I feel better knowing that they are getting a filling and healthier snack than the store bought granola bars. Thanks for a delicious recipe.

posted on May 12th, 2009 at 8:21 am

150 On May 19th, 2009, Pam, said:

I too love Kashi granola bars but only buy them when on sale because I go through them fast and it gets expensive. Definitely going to try this recipe and variations. I have an almond addiction

They would also be great to make ahead in the winter. I snowboard all the time and need something healthy to give me energy on the hill!

posted on May 19th, 2009 at 11:32 am

151 On May 21st, 2009, Naomi said:

I tried the receipe today. Everyone liked them but you can’t eat too many…they are too sweet for my liking. Maybe next time reduce the brown sugar.

posted on May 21st, 2009 at 7:16 pm

152 On May 30th, 2009, Sadia said:

This is my second comment on this post, but I wanted to tell you that this recipe has become a staple at our house. I can’t get away with a single batch any more, since I share these granola bars with two other families; parents and toddlers alike love them. When my officemate was pregnant, she snacked on these throughout the work day. I had a lot of trouble getting the waxed paper off cleanly, and I now make granola bar bites instead by pressing the mixture into greased mini-muffin cups with a pestle, then twisting them out of the cups while still warm. No one can ever stop at just one!

posted on May 30th, 2009 at 9:33 am

153 On June 7th, 2009, Zylo said:

I finally got around to making these and they are delicious. I’m so happy with the way they turned out. I used flax seed instead of wheat germ and used tart cherries and dried mango. I can’t wait to play around with it even more.

posted on June 7th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

154 On June 8th, 2009, MsT said:

I just found this recipe and it is exactly what I was looking for. There is no doubt that it will taste delicious!

posted on June 8th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

155 On June 9th, 2009, Debbie said:

I’m so excited to try these! I’ve been starting to get “processed food” conscious… especially since my little toddler seems to LOVE it… so I’ve been looking for a more healthy option for a granola bar. Seems like this will do the trick! Can’t wait to give them a whirl. Thanks for sharing!

posted on June 9th, 2009 at 10:47 am

156 On June 14th, 2009, Cindy said:

This recipe was excellent. Very easy and everyone loved it. I made both chocolate chip and raisin granola bars and actually preferred the raisin ones. They were a very filling snack which was also good. Thanks for sharing. And your pictures are beautiful. Not sure mine looked that good in process…

posted on June 14th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

157 On June 14th, 2009, April said:

Hello! I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but they look delicious. One thing I have done in the past to cut down a bit on sugar while not giving up taste. is when you’re simmering the ’syrup’ mixture, reduce the honey/sugar and add peanut butter. I usually don’t add peanuts to the bars, but add other nuts and fruits so it’s not too ‘peanutty’ (is that a word?? :). I too add wheat germ and flax seed and have also used whole grain cereal mixes. I have actually used a 9-grain cereal mix and it was still delicious! The peanut butter (while I know some people couldn’t have that…) adds delicious flavor and bonding power while cutting down on sugar. Sometimes I add cinnamon in the syrup mixture too.
Anyway! Thanks for the blog and the great recipes and tutorials! I love reading about other people’s experiences.

posted on June 14th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

158 On June 19th, 2009, Drew said:

Thanks for the great recipe idea. I’ve been making a lot of my own snacks and foods at home because I’m interested in eating healthier and consuming less preservatives and other chemicals. But one thing I would like to ask is that we stop beating up on high fructose corn syrup. Scientific examination of HFCS finds that it is not detrimental to our health, generally speaking. Blame manufacturers, and the human population in general, for giving this stuff a bad name, and over-using/consuming it. In most cases humans make themselves unhealthy and unhappy through their own dietary habits.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 8:23 am

159 On June 23rd, 2009, Tasha said:

I made these tonight and they are absolutely delicious! I love to bake and I’m always interested in how to recreate some of my favorite packaged snacks. This recipe is a keeper and I’ll be making these for a long time. Can’t wait to try different options, such as chocolate chips and different kinds of fruit. Thanks so much for sharing this.

posted on June 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 pm

160 On June 23rd, 2009, Ljubica Todorovic said:

I, too, am feeling the hurt of expensive granola bars. This will solve my problems once and for all! LOOK OUT! …. by the way, I will let you know how the recipe turns out.

posted on June 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm

161 On June 24th, 2009, Ljubica Todorovic said:

I made these last night and they turned out great! I lowered the brown sugar to a 1/3 cup, and used Blue Agave nectar instead of honey. Should have used less Agave because the stuff is sweeter. This recipe seems high in calories because of the nut content, so I will have to try making lower fat somehow. Perhaps cut the brown sugar out entirely.

posted on June 24th, 2009 at 11:56 am