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Melinda's Irresistible Granola Bars (with variations)
Melinda's Irresistible Granola Bars (with variations)
by Melinda Rothstein
some variations are: nut-free, gluten-free
Cashew-Coconut-Almond-Cherry-Chocolate Bars (Melinda's favorite):
Melt 1 stick butter
Add 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cashew butter
1 Tbs almond extract
Combine together:
3 cups whole oats
1/3 cup almonds and cashews, crushed as desired
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
2 Tbs flax meal
2 Tbs fine coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried cherries (chopped or halved)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine until fully mixed and sticking together
Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Press in mixture. Fold over ends of parchment paper and press down until well packed. Take out parchment paper with packed mixture inside and put on cookie tray. Cut into bars with a sharp knife, separate bars (gently).
Bake approx 10 - 15 minutes @ 350
Remove when brown around edges
After about 10 minutes of cooling on pans, slide parchment paper with bars on top onto cooling racks. Cool COMPLETELY before moving, eating, etc.... the longer they sit the less they will fall apart.
Variations:
Peanut Butter-Raisin Bars:
Melt 1 stick butter
Add 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup smooth unsalted peanut butter
1 Tbs almond extract
Combine together:
3 cups whole oats
1/3 cup almonds, crushed or whole
1/3 cup barley flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
2 Tbs flax meal
2 Tbs sesame seeds
1 cup raisins
1/2 tsp salt
Nut-free: substitute peanut butter with sunflower butter; use pumpkin, sunflower, and/or chia seeds instead of ground nuts. Replace almond extract with vanilla extract. Add chocolate chips.
Peanut-chocolate chip (aka my kids version):
Replace raisins with chocolate chips
Use vanilla instead of almond extract
Replace crushed almonds with crushed peanuts
Other ideas: Try using dried blueberries, dried apricots, or cranberries
