Now and then we all crave something new. How about some easy to make Cranberries Granola Bars?
Last week I wanted to try a new healthy school and to-go snack. We all got a bit tired of the granola bars we can buy here. And let’s be honest – the bought ones are often filled with sugar and neither really healthy nor filling.
I shared a recipe on Granola Bars in the past and we still do those now and then. But this new one is even easier and quicker, as it doesn’t require longer baking. I found this one under inspiredtaste.net but I did a few changes.
I replaced the nuts with seeds so that the kids can take it to their “nut-free” schools. And I prefer to have the fruits smaller, so I let them run in a food processor for a little while. But I guess that is preference. It makes them chewier and stickier though I find.
Why not try the bars this weekend as a weekend snack and leave a few for the start of the week for the kids or yourself?
Cranberry Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (230 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) whole almonds, coarsely chopped – or replace those with mixed seeds like sunflower or pumpkin (always good when chopped in the food processor) and why not add some Chia seeds and such
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) honey
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped – or mixed dried berries, we added some apricot, too, all chopped in the food processor
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips – optional – some of us don’t like chocolate in granola bars so we make half/half at the end
And now the easy and quick preparation:
Heat the oven to 170 deg C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and roast the oats and nuts (or seeds or nuts- and seed mixture) for about 5min, stir and then bake for another 3-5 minutes. Just until they are slightly roasted.
While the oats/nuts/seeds are roasting place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolved. Stir regularly.
Pour the butter mixture into a bowl with the toasted oats-mix and mix well. Cool a little and then add the dried fruits – and the chocolate chips if you like to add them. Mix well. If you add the chocolate chips they will melt a bit.
Transfer the mixture into a baking paper sheet and shape it into a square to a thickness you prefer. We prefer thinner bars, so we usually have them around a finger thick. Once you shaped a square you need to press the mixture hard so that the bars stick once cooled and cut. We use a chopping board for this to add additional pressure for about a minute. Cover the bars and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Remove and cut into bars to a size you prefer.
The bars are best stored in an airtight container for up to one week. If you store them in the fridge they tend to be a bit harder but soften once they get warmer.
Enjoy your snack! And please share a snack recipe if you have one at hand! I’m always looking for something new. Thank you!
AK