thick, chewy granola bars
I know, I know, I just talked up . Waxing on about granola bars twice in six months is just weird, right? I can’t help it, I honestly don’t remember last September. I was 37 weeks pregnant. I was as big as a house. I had a baby two weeks later, which I barely remember either, though that’s probably for the best. I forgot about the granola bars in my freezer too, until at least December and when I unearthed them they were so crisp I had to crumble them over yogurt. With a mallet. Then two weeks ago I bought a house-made granola bar at Whole Foods, sunk my teeth into it’s thicky, chewy, ingredient-laden madness and was consumed with envy; why haven’t I made granola bars that taste like ? (Minus about half the sugar; they’re crazy sweet. )
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 13 of 17 ingredients — the other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 13 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Oat | 1/2 cup dry (40g) | 154 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Maple Syrup | 1 tbsp (20ml) | 52 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Walnut | 1 walnut half (4g) | 26 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Fruits | not in our table | 0 |
| Nut | not in our table | 0 |
| Syrup | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (use more for a sweetness akin to most purchased bars; use less for a mildly sweet bar)
- 1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (I used almond butter) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, namely because I was not convinced that the flavor came through)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (see Note above)
- 1 tablespoon water