Christy’s Homemade Granola Bars
Written by Rachel, Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Fruit, Grains, Guest Posts, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian
My friend, Christy, is an inspiration to me. She’s a great cook. A really great cook. She makes healthy foods taste great! She’s a homemade savvy, down to earth, super awesome friend.
She and her husband, Rick, are instilling great eating habits in their four kids. They don’t do much in the way of processed foods. I applaud and admire this. They don’t tell their kids they can’t have anything processed, or occasional treats. But, the majority of their food is made by Christy.
I admire this!
Christy gladly shared her favorite recipe for Granola Bars. They are a staple in their home. I’m going to make them as soon as I finish typing this post, to eat the rest of this week, and to take with us to Paris (I’m writing this way in advance… no working for me while we’re away!!).
Happy Eating!
- ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 c. honey
- 1 t. vanilla
- 4 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 c. oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 t. baking soda
- ¼ c. wheat germ, optional
- ¼ c. flax seed meal, optional
- 2 cups total of any combination of the following extra goodies (or anything else that sounds good to your family in a granola bar): Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
- Seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc.)
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, apricots, etc.)
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Cocoa powder (up to ¼ cup)
- Place butter through vanilla in bowl of stand mixer. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth.
- Add old-fashioned oats, flour, baking soda, wheat germ (optional), and flax seed meal (optional), and continue to beat with mixer until oats are broken up into smaller bits.
- At this point, add 2 cups total of any combination of the extra goodies.
- Press firmly into a 9×13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars (I often cover and put in the fridge for a few hours which makes cutting a bit easier). Best stored in the refrigerator or freezer, though they travel just fine.
