How I Decided to Create Granola Bars
Don’t you hate it when you have the best idea and it completely falls flat? Oh, don’t worry, I’m not talking about the granola bars. Those are spectacular—and I’ll get to them. But first, the falling flat thing. I had the fantastic (if I do say so myself) idea to send two recently-engaged friends homemade engagement gifts a couple weeks back. A little treat to say congratulations. After much thought, I settled on what I thought would be the perfect treat: caramels. And, for those that have followed this blog for a bit will know, my first attempt at caramels did not work. Period.
My second go-round at caramels, thankfully, was a success. So, I gleefully wrapped the caramels in their parchment squares, taking particular pleasure in twisting off the ends to seal the caramels. I then did my best Martha and packaged them up in glassine bags with pretty bows. I shipped them off to my friends, one in New York and the other in California, relieved that I could finally show my friends how excited I was for them.
(Click “more” for the rest of the story, more photos & the recipe.)
Unfortunately, this saga does not end there. I quickly got word from the East Coast that my package had arrived and the caramels were being enjoyed by their recipients. From the West Coast, however, there was … silence. An ominous silence. Knowing my friend as I do, I knew they hadn’t arrived. This suspicion was confirmed when the package was returned to me, squashed and flattened and nearly in shreds, caramel practically oozing out of its pores.
Needless to say, I’ve had it with caramel. Fool me once, shame on you, caramel. Fool me twice, though, it’s shame on me. I was not embarking on another ill-fated caramel endeavor. It was back to the drawing board to come up with a different congratulatory treat. To complicate matters, our newly betrothed friends in California are in the final throes of training for a marathon. It just didn’t feel right to send a big box of truffles or decadent brownies to people running close to 20 miles a day. Thus, these granola bars were born.
I absolutely adore granola and I think a bag or jar of it would make a wonderful out-of-the-blue treat to mail across the country to a friend. But, for this occasion, I wanted something a little more special. So I tinkered around with my granola recipe to come up with these beauties, which I think are infinitely better than any store-bought granola bar I’ve tried. They maintain all my favorite components of my granola—pepitas, dried cranberries, flax and sesame seeds—but they’re in (totally adorable) bar form. I even cut a couple in bite-sized pieces, which worked well. I’d love to tell you more, but there are two pretty bags of granola bars waiting for me on the counter. If they don’t reach their marathon-running, wedding-planning recipients, I just might have to give up.
Granola Bars
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup whole almonds (or other nut)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup honey*
1/4 cup natural peanut butter*
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
Preheat the oven to 325. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, line a square baking pan (8 or 9 inches) with two perpendicular sheets of parchment paper that are long enough to leave an overhang. The sheets will form a “basket” for you to lift out the sheet of granola, before you cut it into bars.
Combine the oats, coconut, seeds and nuts; spread out evenly on the rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. When the oat mixture has been toasting for about 10 minutes, combine the honey, peanut butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. If the sugar dissolves before the oat mixture is done toasting, reduce the heat to low.
When the oat mixture is done toasting, transfer it to a large bowl and add the honey mixture and fruit; stir to incorporate. Spread the mixture in the prepared square pan, using the back of a wooden spoon or bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the pan and create a smooth, even surface. Bake the granola mixture for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Using your parchment “handles,” lift the granola sheet out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, Cut the sheet into one-inch wide bars. Next, cut the series of bars in half, lengthwise. Store in an airtight container.
*Update: I originally advocated a higher amount of honey and peanut butter for those wanting a chewier bar. People seemed to have problems when they increased the amounts of honey and peanut butter, though. So, I’m now only comfortable listing the amounts that I’ve tried with success (i.e. the amounts used for the bars in these photos). I can’t stress strongly enough the need to let the bars cool completely before cutting them with a very sharp knife.
Lynn replied:
Your granola bars look yummy, way better than store bought!
Who better to send brownies to than people who’re running 20 miles a day? Much better than someone who sits in a cubicle all day.
February 9, 2008 at 3:56 pm. Permalink.
Christiane replied:
Oh I love this recipe. Looks fantastic. I can’t wait to make these!!!
February 9, 2008 at 4:55 pm. Permalink.
JEP replied:
I cannot wait to make these—no oil or butter, yes!! These sound better than my favorite Kashi Chewy Trail Mix bars!
February 9, 2008 at 5:22 pm. Permalink.
Madeline replied:
These look fabulous! I’ve been looking for a great granola bar recipe for some time now. I can’t wait to make these. Oh, and your photos are gorgeous!
February 9, 2008 at 5:42 pm. Permalink.
Nemmie replied:
They look so amazing! Fabulous pictures. Hubs is looking for something new for a quick breakfast in the morning, and I think these will do the trick. Thanks bunches for the recipe!
February 9, 2008 at 6:38 pm. Permalink.
Michelle replied:
I decided to use this recipe for first shot at making granola bars. Unfortunately, they didn’t hold together, but the resulting granola clusters ROCK!!!
February 9, 2008 at 8:50 pm. Permalink.
Molly replied:
I am hands-down the MOST excited for these tasty little treats! I don’t know how many marathon-running, newly engaged couples you know in California but I’m pretty darn sure these are for us! Can’t wait… you’re the best!
February 9, 2008 at 8:55 pm. Permalink.
seebeautiful replied:
You have another marathon runner/couple here that can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing. I love your blog and photos!!
Beth
February 10, 2008 at 5:38 am. Permalink.
Monica replied:
OH MY GOSH!! You made your fantastic granola into bars?!?! You must have been reading my mind. I need something like this for my hectic traveling schedule in March and April. Make them NOW! Thank you!!
February 10, 2008 at 6:33 am. Permalink.
ourkitchensink replied:
Lynn, Christiane, Madeline, Nemmie, Beth, Monica: Thank you, thank you!
JEP: These actually remind me quite a bit of the Kashi bars, but these taste fresher and less “industrial” than those. And, as I made them (with the lower amounts of honey and PB), they are not as bendy/chewy as the Kashi bars. I hope you give them a try!
Michelle: Oh no! Where did they go wrong? You can email me directly at thekitchensinkblog (at) gmail (dot) com — we can try to get it figured out.
Molly: I am so busted! I thought you’d be too busy running 20 miles to read. At least you already knew that something was en route. Hope you like them!
February 10, 2008 at 9:50 am. Permalink.
Angie replied:
YUMMM!! I wanted to make some granola bars and these look so good….AND healthy! Thanks
February 10, 2008 at 5:23 pm. Permalink.
Hairy Weisenheimmer replied:
OMG! Those look beyond yummy! Can’t wait to try them!
February 10, 2008 at 6:35 pm. Permalink.
Yummy Link: Homemade Granola Bars replied:
[...] everyday for a snack. Now that I’m grown and prone to cooking, I enjoy homemade granola bars. This recipe with almonds, flax seeds, and pepitas looks crunchy and delicious. — The Kitchen [...]
February 12, 2008 at 10:00 am. Permalink.
Lemmonex replied:
I hate coconut–do you think it would be ok leaving them out? Maybe sub more nuts in? Thanks!
February 12, 2008 at 10:14 am. Permalink.
ourkitchensink replied:
Angie and Hairy: Thanks!
Lemmonex: The coconut is not very prominent at all, so I doubt it would bother you. That said, I think you’d be fine leaving it out. I might sub in more oats, rather than nuts, it its place. I’d worry that more nuts would start to interfere with the “integrity” of the bars.
February 12, 2008 at 10:24 am. Permalink.
Lemmonex replied:
More oats is a great idea. Unfortunately, I hate coconut so much that I cannot even smell it, so I would never bring it in the house. It is just the one thing I cannot eat. Thanks and love the blog.
February 12, 2008 at 10:33 am. Permalink.
Vicki replied:
These are wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
February 17, 2008 at 4:31 pm. Permalink.
Shanna replied:
I tried this recipie using the higher amounts of PB and honey, they turned out hard as a freaking rock! Maybe I pressed them down too much? Frankly, I love chewy granola bars and I think it would have turned out well if I hadn’t baked them at all. The liquid mixture turns to glue when it cools and would probably have held together well.
February 18, 2008 at 8:13 pm. Permalink.
ourkitchensink replied:
Shanna: Thanks for letting me know. I’ve made an update to the recipe, above, to address the concerns of you and others.
February 18, 2008 at 10:02 pm. Permalink.
Make-Your-Own Snack Bars « Chick in the Kitchen replied:
[...] Another granola bar, from The Kitchen Sink. The photos are very enticing, but I’d need to use much small chunks of nuts and such for my guys. [...]
February 21, 2008 at 2:13 pm. Permalink.
goldenhearth replied:
oh my god
I have been searching for a granola bar to make at our bakery. We make a really popular granola and i can’t wait to use your recipe as a base to use with my recipe!
These look so amazing. Your photos are very wonderful and look better than pics i have seen in magazines. I will have to omit the peanut butter due to allergies but i bet almond butter would work too.
i love your pages!
golden hearth baking co
February 22, 2008 at 10:31 pm. Permalink.
Mar replied:
I made these this morning, and they turned out wonderfully.
Until I tried to cut them that is. It isn’t that they crumbled or anything, I just can’t cut things well. And I used dried cherries without chopping them so they kind of stuck to the knife and caused problems…
I’m gonna change them up a bit next time I make them, but your recipe gave me a great starting place. I wish I’d realized before how easy it could be to make them.
March 1, 2008 at 5:58 pm. Permalink.
Patrice replied:
I will be trying these tonight….my ultimate goal is to replicate the new Kashi cherry / dark chocolate bars….any plans to make a clone of these?
Patrice
March 5, 2008 at 5:24 pm. Permalink.
Kate replied:
I just tried this recipe today and also ended up with granola clusters instead of bars, but they do taste good. I must not have mixed the honey/PB goop in thoroughly enough leading to crumbly parts and overly-hard parts. Quite tasty though and I can’t wait to try different combinations of ingredients. Haven’t made anything like this before.
March 30, 2008 at 10:37 pm. Permalink.
Withpaint replied:
I tried these, increasing the honey and p.b. by a little and had no problems…even overbaked them bit and they still came out well. I love these bars. They taste very much like the kind I buy in the health food store. I did not use the coconut since my family is not fond of it.
April 13, 2008 at 5:40 pm. Permalink.
Shauntel Nash replied:
I just made this this am for my family, and yum! They turned out excellent!
April 18, 2008 at 10:16 am. Permalink.
Hanna replied:
I made these for my boyfriend and since then he’s been treating me like a queen. One problem though, they didn’t really hold, more like granola clusters, I don’t know what I did wrong? What would happen if I used more honey and PB? Or if I didn’t bake them at all? Hm, hm…
May 6, 2008 at 3:56 pm. Permalink.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink replied:
Hanna: It sounds like you’ve had the same problem as some other commenters. Did you let the bars cool completely before cutting? One of my big blog goals once my exams are over is to tinker around with this recipe and address these issues. That said, I hope you enjoyed your clusters!
May 7, 2008 at 4:58 am. Permalink.
Feng replied:
Excellent recipe! I made these bars and everyone loved them! I didn’t have a problem with the granola becoming clusters instead of staying as bars, but I think the sharpness of the knife and letting the bars cool entirely before slicing is really important for that to be the case. Oftentimes I have to restrict myself from lunging for the knife and slicing myself a piece after I’ve taken whatever it is I’ve baked out of the oven!
June 4, 2008 at 9:18 pm. Permalink.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink replied:
Feng: Thank you! I’m so (so, so, so) glad to hear that people are having success with the bars. And, I agree: sharp knife, decisive cuts & adequate cooling are essential.
June 5, 2008 at 5:25 am. Permalink.
Rose replied:
Thanks for the inspiration!! I just tried a variation of these today. Terrific!
June 5, 2008 at 11:25 am. Permalink.
tallstar7 replied:
OOOOHHHH!! These look amazing! As soon as I get over my current raisin bread obsession, I’m going to have to try them.
June 11, 2008 at 2:20 am. Permalink.
Nora replied:
Thanks for the receipe. This is my first attempt at Granola, heres hoping it goes well.
June 11, 2008 at 10:29 am. Permalink.
Terri replied:
I made these and only few turned into bars, the rest were yummy crumbles. Today I am going to make them again because they were such a great hit. I don’t think I pressed them hard enough. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
June 30, 2008 at 9:55 am. Permalink.