Wholesome, high-energy snack meals is the right pick-me-up throughout the work or college day and supplies a dietary enhance of vitality, which improves focus and stamina. Whereas nailing the vitamin could also be simpler to perform when getting ready a sit-down meal, it’s typically tough to realize in a snack when you find yourself grabbing meals on the go. What are you able to eat that’s moveable, scrumptious and wholesome? Look no additional than these selfmade granola bars. Snacking by no means felt, or tasted, so good.
The great thing about selfmade granola bars is you can choose and select your components, omitting extra sugars, fats and components with out sacrificing taste. Whereas these bars should not totally sin-free, they’re full of nutrient-rich oats, almonds and dried fruit. Every bar supplies a welcome dose of protein, fiber, nutritional vitamins and minerals, which ought to justify making a batch for munching.
This recipe is impressed by a tried-and-true granola bar recipe from Ina Garten. I’ve stored her ratios of dried to moist components practically the identical to make sure the bars will stick collectively, which generally is a problem with granola bars. This recipe leans into maple and cinnamon, which I really like in granola. For a gluten-free model, use gluten-free oats.
Home made Granola Bars
Yield: Makes roughly 18 to 24 small bars
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 1/4 cups old style oats
- 3/4 cup chopped uncooked almonds
- 3/4 cup unsweetened grated coconut
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (packed) mild brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups blended dried fruit, akin to chopped apricots, cranberries and cherries
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 levels. Butter an 8-by-11-inch baking pan and line with parchment.
2. Mix the oats, almonds and coconut in a bowl. Unfold on a rimmed baking sheet and bake till aromatic and calmly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Take away from the oven and switch to a big bowl. Stir within the almond meal.
3. Scale back the oven temperature to 300 levels.
4. Soften the butter in a small saucepan over medium warmth. Whisk within the sugar and syrup, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
5. Take away from the warmth and stir within the vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the oats, stirring to completely mix. Stir within the dried fruit.
6. Dump the batter within the ready pan and unfold to evenly distribute, gently urgent down.
7. Switch to the oven and bake till golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Take away and funky fully within the pan till agency, no less than 2 hours. Reduce into squares or rectangles. Retailer at room temperature in an hermetic container.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning meals and wine author, cookbook writer and recipe developer. She additionally authors the weblog TasteFood, a compilation of greater than 600 unique recipes, pictures and tales.
