Homemade Granola Bars
A crunchy, delicious bar, and best of all: homemade!
Once I tried these bars, I could never go back to eating the ones by the checkout at the grocery store, pharmacy, and department stores.
The difference in quality, texture, and flavor is impressive.
It's very simple to make and uses few ingredients, and best of all, it doesn't go in the oven like some granola bar recipes do, which makes the process simpler and leaves less room for error (I've burned a whole batch before).
Always store it in the fridge to keep its structure. You can wrap the bars individually in parchment paper or keep them in a regular lidded container.
Even though it's a sweet snack, I personally consider it healthy compared to store-bought sweet snacks.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 1/2 cups thick rolled oats
- 2 1/2 cups rice cereal flakes
- 1 tablespoon mixed chia and flax seeds
- Half a cup of semisweet chocolate, for melting
Method
- 1
In a bowl, mix the oats, rice cereal flakes, and seeds (1 teaspoon of salt if the butter you're using is unsalted).
- 2
In a small saucepan, let the butter melt slowly. Stir in the sugar, honey, and vanilla.
- 3
Stir constantly and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it start to bubble.
- 4
Turn off the heat and wait for the bubbles to settle. Then add it to the dry mixture and mix well.
- 5
Line a rectangular pan about 30cm (12 in) long with parchment paper. Pour in the still-warm mixture. Press it down firmly with the back of a spatula or with your hands to make it well-packed so it doesn't crumble. (If using your hands, use a piece of parchment paper so it doesn't stick.)
- 6
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, then drizzle it back and forth over the top by hand to create a “striped” effect.
- 7
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- 8
Cut into bars and serve. Store in the fridge.
