Homemade Granola Bars

Geoff and I never manage to be ready for church more than two minutes before we need to be out the door, so we don't have time to make breakfast, but when we're hungry, Geoff turns into a sad, floppy version of himself, and I turn into a hangry monster. So, I've started making batches of handheld breakfasts and keeping them in the freezer, that way we can throw them in the toaster oven to thaw while we get ready, and then grab them on our way out the door.

Most recently I went on a granola bar kick, and I went a little crazy making four different types- I just couldn't decide what I wanted in them so I made everything! It was easy to make so many because these are so quick and simple to make. I was inspired by the basic formula used here, and then came up with my own version swapping things out. Below is a chart with the four types I tried, but the beauty of this is that you can mix and match, or add the things you like! The only recommendation I'd make is that if you want to use maple syrup, mix it with another stickier sweetener, like honey or agave- I found the bars I did with all maple syrup ended up crumbly compared to those with a sticky sweetener.

Base               Rolled oats, rolled barley (I'd also love to try puffed brown rice cereal here)                                                                                                                                            

Binder         Tahini                       Almond butter              Pecan butter             Cashew butter

Sweet          Maple syrup             Honey                           Maple syrup             Honey

Nut/seed      Pepitas                      Almonds                       Pecans                      Almonds

Fruit            Dried figs, dates       Dried apricots               Dried peaches         Dried cherries

Crunch        Coconut flakes          Quinoa, millet              Amaranth                 Millet, chocolate chips

Topping       Sesame seeds            Bee pollen                    Flax seeds               Chia seeds  

Ingredients

1 1/12 cups Rolled oats

3/4 cup Rolled barley

2/3 cup Chopped dried fruit

1/3 cup Chopped nuts and/or seeds

1/3 cup Crunch

1/3 cup Binder

1/3 cup Sweetener

1 Tbl Olive oil

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Tbl Topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 11x7 pan

2. Combine binder, sweetener, olive oil, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until smooth and combined

3. Combine rolled oats and rolled barley, dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds in a large bowl

4. Add mixture from saucepan to mix in bowl, stir well to combine

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan and press down to pack (wet hands to prevent mix from sticking)

6. Sprinkle topping over pan and press lightly to adhere. Bake for ten minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Chill in the fridge to help prevent crumbling.