I thought these turned out fairly good. If you like Quaker oatmeal packaged granola bars you will like these. I left out the dried fruit but think they would have been good with raisins. I used an equivalent amount of extra rolled oats for the steel cut to avoid a trip to the store. It worked fine. I thought the half a cup of mini chocolate chips was a bit much as these were plenty sweet already. I consider them more of a sweet then a health food. However I feel that way about most all store bought granola bars also that taste just like this. A hint for the chocolate chips is to freeze them to avoid melting if mixing in. Stir in the syrup well and let the mix cool down pretty well and add them in. I am not sure how they would have stuck to the top as suggested. After the refridgerating I worked hard to cut them into the 24 servings suggested and about 80% of them came out without much breaking as they are very chewy and flexible. Although not traditional as a square a different cut might hold better. I wasn't sure how to store these as the directions didn't make any suggestions on that. I bagged them individually and stored in the fridge. It seemed to work good. I only wish now I had some kids to test these on.
Dana these are soooooo good! the mixture did seem a little dry to me so i added a little maple syrup an it did the trick! I used what i had on hand nuts dried cheeries coconut and chocolate chips! To make it alot easier line yoyr pan with wax paper or foil that way they come out of the pan alot easier!!! I will make these alot!!!
Very tasty! I used 1cup cashews instead of the fruit and almonds. I find they fall apart a bit (maybe I didn't cook the sugar long enough) but the flavor is great. Also the chocolate chips ended up melting all over because I tried packing them in when the mixture was still warm.
This hands down is the best granola bar recipe I have ever made. There are endless possibilities (chocolate chips and almonds craisins and white chocolate chips cinnamon and raisin... you name it!) and it's so easy to make. I too had to experiment with the issue of them falling apart when made as directed and I found 2 things. If you cook the mixture exactly as directed (until the sugar is dissolved) they will fall apart unless they are refrigerated. I experimented with a few different ways and here's a simple improvement to keep them together better (even out of the refrigerator). I used 3 tablespoons of butter (a tablespoon less than called for) and 3 tablespoons of honey (again a tablespoon less) with the 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Instead of simply melting I let it boil at a rolling boil for about 2 minutes (my candy thermometer is broken but I'd guess it was about to the soft ball stage). It doesn't change the taste at all but it does help it to stick together better. I also put my chocolate chips on top and waited until they melted then spread them around. That way it also helps to hold together better as well as to evenly distribute the chocolate. As far as storing goes as soon as I'm able I cut them into bars (lengthwise I cut it in half then width-wise I cut it into about 8 sections making 16 bars for a 9x13 pan) then put each bar into a snack-sized zipper baggie. Perfect for lunches and snacking on the go!
This is my 2nd time making these and they are delicious!! This is a wonderful base recipe that goes together super quick and is chewy & delicious. First version I made I added a mashed up banana to the wet ingredients (I did have to process the liquid to make it smooth) and used walnuts and chocolate chips in the bars - tastes like a chocolate covered banana and still works out to just 134 calories per serving! Tonight I made a peanut butter version - subbing 1/4 c peanut butter for the butter and I used agave nectar in place of the honey because we were out. I also added a little less than 1/2 c of flaxseed to the dry ingredients. I stuck with the 1/2 c walnuts and about 1/3 c chocolate chips pressed into the top after the mixture was transferred to the pan. They're not quite cool yet but boy did my little nibble taste yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
I've found this on several blogs lately and it's our go to recipe for quick and easy granola bars. I have found we like 1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar to be better as they are too sweet otherwise. Also you have to press these in pretty darn good so they stick together. AND the best way to make them stay firm is to refrigerate...otherwise they do tend to break easily which I don't mind but my bf doesn't care for crumbling bars.:) It's fun to mix up the nuts/fruit/chocolate or eliminate all together.
These are good but definitely not a healthier version of the store bought we want to imitate with all the added sugar. You may as well buy the prepackaged ones. I don't use the sugars listed or the butter. Instead I use about half a cup of brown rice syrup and 1/3 - 1/2 cup natural peanut butter to hold them together. Yes it provides a small amount of sugar and the peanut butter gives it flavor and helps them bond into a more stable bar. I also don't put dried fruit in but I have at times. I add a combination of coconut almonds pecans walnuts and pumpkin seeds as well as a tablespoon or two of ground flax for omega 3's and fiber. Cinnamon also makes a nice addition to the flavor with the nuts. After placing them in the baking dish and before placing them in the refrigerator to set up I melt half a bag of dark chocolate morsels on top in the oven for 2 - 3 minutes for sweetness. When I take the bars out I then spread the melted chips in a thin layer of chocolate over the entire batch. It helps hold them together and provides a nice touch for the sweet tooth.
We have loved this recipe! As is it is great! (I do double the recipe to make the bars thicker in my 9x13 pan.) To adjust to our tastes I've made the following changes to Dana's recipe. (And some of these have been suggested in other reviews.) I've cut the brown sugar to 1/3 cup and the chocolate chips to 1/4 cup. Sometimes I will omit the chocolate chips and then increase the fruit to 3/4 cup. One reviewer mentioned switching the butter for peanut butter. I am anxious to try this one but haven't had an opportunity since I have one child that doesn't like nuts. Another reviewer mentioned cooking the butter honey and brown sugar for 2 minutes at a rolling boil. I found this very helpful. It brings the sugar to somewhere between the soft ball and hard ball stage which keeps it from falling apart too much. I also put parchment paper on the bottom of my 9x13 pan. After pressing the mixture into the pan and while it is still warm I cut the granola into bars. Then I put it in the fridge to harden. After it is cool I pull it out break the bars along the cut lines and then put in sandwich bags so that they are ready to grab for lunches or snacks. As the bars get warm they can sometimes fall apart slightly. But I think this is partially because of the lower sugar amount. No matter our whole family loves these! Thanks for a great recipe Dana!
Hi - While I loved bulk of this recipe I also had the problem of the bars just not sticking together. They will turn into granola when you try to cut them. So I used brown rice syrup in place of the butter brown sugar AND honey. Trust me you don't need any of those ingredients if you use the brown rice syrup (about 1/2 cup of it). Also if you want a mocha bar add instant coffee - delicious. They will take just like Kashi Mochoa Almond Bars.
It wouldn't stay together in bars.
