Playgroup Granola Bars

I've made these bars twice now; the first time, I followed the directions exactly and I found the finished product a little to crumbly for my taste. The kids and hubby devoured them and immediately requested more. The 2nd time I added 1/2 cup of apple sauce to the mix . This made the bars much easier to cut and gave them a more chewy, cookie-like texture. The fam. inhaled these, as well. In the future, I guess I'll add apple sauce and make them more chewy depending on the mood of my kids that day, (my husband prefers the crunchy). Thanks!!!

I've made these twice now and the second time I made them I tweaked the recipe a bit and came up with a great granola bar! Instead of the wheat germ I used natural wheat bran, added 2 tablespoons of flax seed, whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose, and instead of the oil I used 1/4 cup of organic crunchy peanut butter and 1/4 mashed banana. I also tossed in some craisins instead of raisins and some mini chocolate chips...delicious!

Very good recipe, I've made these at least 5 times in the last month, I made several variations... I made them with pure maple syrup (prefer honey) Made them with chopped walnuts, very good. I also add sliced almonds on top & lightly pat down, good & very pleasing to the eye too. ;) I made them with chocolate chips, we did not like these very much, even my little ones prefer raisins or craisins. I also tried adding half applesauce in place of the oil and they are not near as good, way too dry. I use "Old Fashioned oats" & double the recipe & bake on a foil lined jelly roll pan, I spray lightly with pam. I get rave reviews from all who have tried these, I make them & send them to work with my husband,- his co-workers love 'em! as do my children & their friends! you will not be disappointed, you can really add whatever you like to make it "your own". I'm going to try dried blueberries next! YUM!

Great coming out of the oven, nice n' chewy, but gets dry the next day. Doesn't keep as well as I would like - and a little dry and lacking spices/flavor. This would have been better with just dried fruit such as chopped dried apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries etc. Moms, try the "Gobble Up Granola Snacks" from this site. Much more flavorful, soft n chewy and super easy to make. Look it up.

i love this recipe. the first batch i made with mini chocolate chips and walnuts. the second just the raisins. it is amazing one taste like a cookie the other taste like a granola bar. i cut the sugar down to 1/4. and i added 1 tbs vanilla. that is all i did different. thank you so much for such a versitile recipe.

This is a great base for granola bars. I added stone milled flour instead of white and reduced it to 2/3 cup, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup, added 1/3 cup each flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Any dried fruit is also a great addition. We pack them on hiking trips, they are very filling and keep you full. They also freeze well, but they seem to dissapear right from the freezer!

Wonderful! I was craving crunchy granola bars and found this recipe. I found it a little sweet; next time I'll decrease the sugar to probably 2/3 or even 1/2 cup. I used 1/2 c raisins and 1/2 c chocolate chips, decreased the amount of wheat germ to 1/4 c and added 1/4 c of rice protein powder, to bump up the amount of protein. I'll definitely make them again. Do be sure to cut them before they get cold - they do make crunchy bars!

HELPFUL TIPS NOT MENTIONED: 1st: My own tip is to wrap these individually in plastic wrap (press n seal) & store at room temp (NOT FRIDGE or they'll stiffin). That way they're easy to travel w/esp if you're giving them to toddlers as a snack! Stays moist! 2nd: Substitute w/all wheat flour & 1/2C applesauce. Works wonderfully, but I've also substituted the oil w/canola oil with better results. 3rd: I put this in a 9X13, but shaped it until it was the thickness I wanted in a granola bar. I like mine about as thick as a snicker's bar. 4th, I put 1/4C of almonds & another 1/4C of dried blueberries to go along with 1C of dried cranraisins. 5th, I like things sweet, but this really has an unnecessary amount of brown sugar. I reduce to 1/2C. With these changes, I've NEVER had anything but chewy moist granola bars that last a long time! I think these are better than "Gobble Up Granola Snacks" from this site AND they contain peanut butter which didn't work out for some of the toddlers in my son's playgroup (allergic). So this is the perfect alternative recipe. :)

Okay, I only make these in (minimum) double batches since my first batch. FANTASTIC!! I use all organic ingredients (I have a chemical sensitivity) and always substitute the following: flax seed for wheat germ, apple sauce for oil, ww for wh flour, and crispy rice cereal for 1/4 of the oatmeal. After that, they are idiot-proof - any combination of fruit/nuts/flavours is amazing. I bake in a 365 convection oven for 18-20 minutes - perfect for us, chewy and firm, not gooey or too hard. Crunchy, flavourful, indefinite shelf life (not that they last very long!). I use parchment paper instead of greased pans, and easily slide the cooled square onto a cutting board to slice up with a pizza cutter. Excellent recipe! Everyone - and I mean *everyone* - who has tried any of my iterations has asked for ... no, Demanded! the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!

This is a good recipe. Tweak it to your family's tastes. I prefer a less dense bar, so my next batch will include Rice Krispies or somesuch thing to make it lighter. I did the usual "healthy" changes plus one other that I didn't see listed a billion times so I'll mention this one--I replaced part of the honey with almond butter (will use peanut butter next time). It changes the sweetness ratio when you do that, but not the stickiness ratio (which is the harder to control of the two). I do recommend everyone try this without "extras" at least once so you can see what the texture should be like. (Replace grains for grains, fruits for fruits, fats for fats, etc, but don't go adding 2 more cups of salted nuts and then whine when it turns out dry or salty!) This recipe is pretty much no-fail assuming you like oats to start with! P.S. It is not necessary to "generously grease" your pan. A generous spritzing of cooking spray works just fine if you cut them & run a knife around the edges when they're still warm.

These are really really good! one thing, though: if you are expecting granola bars like you buy at the grocery store, you will really want to up the fruits and nuts and cut back on the flour. It turns out a little denser than a dense cake, at least the way i did it. I followed several other reviews on here and decreased to 1/3 c. brown sugar, replaced the oil with as much applesauce, and replaced the raisins with craisins and added 1/3 c chopped almonds. I think next time i will decrease the flour and add more nuts and fruit. NOTE: Those of you wanting to substitute the oil for applesauce need to anticipate a SHORTER cook time; recipes using applesauce instead of oil bake noticeably faster, so start checking at around 20 minutes- mine took 23.

We really like these. Made the following changes/adaptations based on reviews and like them better! 1. Doubled recipe and put in wax-paper (or foil) lined jelly roll pan (don't know why, but this made the texture better). This gave me 40 bars. 2. Cut the brown sugar down to 1/4 cup for a single recipe (1/2 c. for double). 3. Added in 1 c. chopped nuts (for the double recipe).

I submitted this recipe, but wanted to add a note. Yesterday we made them again and we tripled the recipe using 2 cups of wheat flour and only one cup (total) of oil and they turned out great. They were a little more crumbly than they would be if I'd added more oil, but they really turned out great! If you triple the recipe - use 2 cookie trays and then use after pressing it into the pan (which little kids can do to help!) you can use a rolling pin to flatten them out nicely. Hope you all like the recipe! Like I said - we can't keep them around! At least they are a somewhat healthy snack for little guys!

They are best just out of the oven!

I gave this 5 stars because I did so many alterations that there is no way I know what the original bar would taste like! However, I do prefer a more chunky bar made without flour. I followed the advice of the other reviews and used 2 cups oats, 1/3- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 tspn cinn., 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup mixture of raisens, cranberrys and walnuts, 3/4 tspn salt, 1/2 cup honey or splenda (used splenda), 1 egg, 1 cup applesauce for the oil (will try banana or peanut butter next time), 1tspn. vanilla ext., 1/4 tspn, allspice. I cooked for 18 min. Can you tell I like to substitite to make it healthier??

Yummy! They are a bit sweet so I used a little less honey.

I made these using whole wheat flour, 1/2 the amount of oil and reduced the sugar, also using a "baking blend" of brown sugar and sucralose. I ended up not liking them because of the artificial sweetener flavor, but my BF loved them. He said it was like a big oatmeal cookie with less fat and sugar. I gave it four stars even though I didn't care for them, but that was my fault and not the recipe. I will make them again and add some unsweetened applesauce to make up for the reduced oil, and also use real sugar this time. Can't beat the real stuff! Just use less of it.

Great, great recipe!!! What I love about it is that you can tweek this and come up with many different variations. I add 1 1/2 cups of crispy rice cereal, an extra egg, and I double the cinnamon. I also add dried cranberries along with the raisins. I also use whole wheat flour instead of white and I throw in some flax. The crispy rice cereal give it a nice crunch and the extra egg adds the moisture needed because of the extra dry ingredients. All the ingredients that I use are organic. I am going to try a Christmas variation this year by using only dried cranberries and adding white chocolate chips.....sounds good!!!! WARNING....once you try this, you will turn your nose up at any store bought granola bar:) It is a great way to replace junk with a good healthy snack:) I highly recommend this recipe!!

These granola bars are awesome! I sought out a granola bar recipe because I was spending a small fortune on store bought bars that I didn't even like that much and who knows what was really in them! I made the recipe to the T the first time but I've made a few changes along the way. I reduce the sugar and salt by 1/3, substitute canola for vegetable oil, use wheat flour instead of white and substitute half the wheat germ with whole flax seed. But every time I make these I try a new ingredient. My favorite has been the addition of 1/4 cup of chopped banana chips and 1/4 cup of nutella! The nutella makes them a little moister with a hint of chocolate. I just pulse whole banana chips in the food processor. I've been meaning to try white chocolate peanut butter as well. It's so easy to adjust this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Love this recipe. I am now making about 2 batches every week because my family loves it enough and takes it to school for snacks or for after workouts etc. I've played around with it quite a bit - it is very open to doing that without ruining it for many of the ingredients except for the oil. I've found that applesauce and bananas with or without the oil didn't give it the right texture. The texture that was best for subbing the oil was either half oil and half pureed beans or all pureed beans. It works very well with subbing wheat flour for all purpose flour. I have also subbed 1/4 c flax seed meal for 1/4 c of flour (and still using 3/4 flour). I also sub wheat or oat bran for the wheat germ. I've also subbed almond extract for vanilla. I've put all kinds of fillers in it - craisins, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch. Cut up dried apricots, dried apples and even some crunched banana chips. I suggest making the recipe as is at first and then have fun subbing. There is very little that I have found that goes wrong.

Awesome. Got thrown into the rotation immediately. I've made this three times already in about four days - some of that was for a party we hosted, and all the bars went quickly. I would recommend cooking the bars for the entire 30 minutes. The second batch I only did 25 minutes and they were still very chewy. My wife said it was like an oatmeal cookie but I thought 'Well, it's not supposed to be a cookie' so the next time I baked it for 30 minutes and it was chewy like a chewy bar, not like a chewy cookie.

I make these weekly and eat them for breakfast - They are fantastic! To the recipe given here, I also add: another 1/2 c. oats, another 1/4 c. cranberries (for a total of 1/2 c.) (or try dried blueberries or dried cherries or apricots, etc), 1/4 c. sunflower seeds, 1/4 c. pecan pieces chopped small (try your favorite nut!), and 1/4 c. golden flax seeds. Some folks like 1 c. of chocolate chips added, but I have not tried that. I use whole wheat flour and canola or safflower oil. So far I have never needed to add additional oil or honey to make it all stick together. Some HINTS: (1) measure the oil first and THEN the honey, so that the honey doesn't stick to the measuring cup; (2) butter your hands before pressing the mixture into the pan, (3) use a pizza wheel to cut the bars, and (4) don't the let bars get too cool, or they will be very difficult to cut! One batch lasts me about a week and a half. Since I eat two bars for breakfast, I wrap each set of two bars in saran with a layer of saran between them, and they stay fresh and nice for two weeks. They can also be frozen. Be sure to try these - they are the best I have found! We use all organic ingredients, and the flavors are wonderful!

I love these bars and find them addictive! As written, they're awesome. As a bonus, this recipe can be switched up for variety by trying different kinds of dried fruit in place of raisins, or adding other fun things like walnuts or peanut butter chips. They are pretty sweet, so my personal preference is to cut the brown sugar back to 2/3 cup instead of 3/4, and cut the honey to 1/3 cup instead of 1/2. I usually go half and half with whole wheat/white flour, too. Fast, easy, and a crowd pleaser! YUM!

These turned out really good. I substitued ground flax for the wheat germ and choc chips instead of raisins. I think the choc chip addition made it a little too sweet. Next time, if I add them, I think I'll reduce the sugar. Also added chopped almonds. These are the perfect snack. Thanks for submiting.

I'm sure I've rated this before, but we made them again. We always add a few extras that we have on hand. I even used whole wheat flour. I added 1/2 applesauce to give it more juice. Also, my egg was gigantic, which probably helped too. We add: flax seeds, coconut, raw sunflower seeds, whatever we can find. My daughter loves to help and then eat her creation and this is a perfect project for her. She can't overmix it and its great tasting too. Thanks for sharing!

These were great. I didn't make any changes to the recipe. Both of my kids loved them. I will make them again for sure.

I wanted a crunchy granola bar so I tried this recipe. It smelled as if they were burning after 15 minutes at 350 degrees, so I took them out and lowered the temperature to 200 degrees, cut the bars and continued baking them on racks for another 15 minutes. I had used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour and added nuts. They are quite good and almost what I had in mind, (the name brand crunchy granola bars, but with more stuff in them).

Thank you for the suggestion. My son loves the recipe and he gave it five stars.

These are awesome. We've made them with all sorts of variations, and they always turn out. My favorite is with dried cranberry & apple. I cut the flour down when I want a gooier version.

My husband and I both think these are great, and they also smell fantastic while baking. I kept everything the same, but I didn't have wheat germ so I subbed wheat flour. I also added about a half cup chocolate chips with the raisins. The "dough"is extremely sticky, so I used wax paper to pat it more evenly into the pan. They also took slightly less time than the recipe calls for....about 25 minutes. These are right in the middle of chewy and crunchy. I'm sure I will make them again and again.

These were delicious! My family and I loved them. Followed recipe exactly. Next time I will definitely play around with different ingredients. Thanks again for the recipe!

great base for customizing with whatever you have on hand. I added trail mix the first time, and the second time added one mashed banana, 1/2c chocolate chips, and an extra 1/2 c rolled oats. thanks for a tasty, simple, and easy to adapt recipe!

Very Yummy! I followed another reader's suggestion as I am diabetic. I substituted 1/4 c + 2 Tbls Splenda Brown Sugar for the brown sugar and I substituted 1/3 cup Agave for the honey, I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the oil and Whole wheat flour for all- purpose. I added 1/8 tsp of baking powder. I also threw in some almonds and just a few dried cranberries. It was good, next time I might cut back on the Agave a little more as it was a little sweet. Thanks though for the great recipe and other readers changes!

What an excellent recipe. I doubled the recipe and used my commercial size cookie sheet. When I first was cutting them, I thought "oh no". This is not what I was expecting. But as the bars cooled, it was exactly what I wanted. The recipe is a great base for a granola bar and the variations but added other ingredients allows you to make so many variations. Thanks for sharing this treasure!!

Thanks for the great recipe! All in all, this is an awesome quick & easy, versatile recipe that uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. Now for the changes... I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and apple sauce instead of oil. I didn't have wheat germ so left it out. My family doesn't like things very sweet so I halved the sugar and glazed the top with honey about 5 minutes before they were done to make it shiny with just a hint of sweetness. They were nice and chewy but crispy on top when I made them about 1/2 inch thick, and didn't take 30minutes to be done (maybe if you want them crunchier?). Also, instead of raisins I used what I had on hand: dried cranberries, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, and pumpkin seeds. I also added almond extract just for kicks. Next time I make this, I'd like to try with a little more oats and a little less flour. We'll see how that goes :)...

I make this as is, but I put half of the mixture down into the pan, cover it wih jam and dried fruit (usually cranberries), then slap the rest of the mixture on top. I don't add any raisins. But I add about a 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. we love it.

3 cups oats, 2 egg whts, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup bran, 2-3 tbls brown sugar, 1/4c. flax seeds, 3/4 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. salt, 2 t. vanilla, sprinkle with toffee bits and coconut flakes. Cook only until edges are firm.

My family loves these bars in all it's forms! Best hint I found was to add veg oil first then honey (so honey doesn't stick to measuring cup), you can use applesauce, choc & white chips, bananas, peanut butter, almonds ... Anything! It's the ratatouille of granola bars!

I tried several granola bar recipes before settling with this one. LOVE IT! I have low-blood sugar problems and these are a healthy option to keep me going until the next meal. I can def feel the difference when snacking on these vs. chips/cookies. We sub the wheat germ for chopped cashew/almonds/peanuts and add banana chips too.

Good, I subbed craisins for raisins and did 1/4 c. veg oil and 1/4 c. applesauce and used ground flax in place of wheat germ. All in all very good and all the kids agreed! Edit: I have made these at least 5 times now. I've added chocolate chips, but honestly prefer them without. I also use wheat flour in place of white. And with reading other reviews, I found that if you don't press them to the edges of the pan, instead leave about a 1/2 inch border all around, they turn out much better.

These are great. They stayed nice and chewy for days. I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and placed in air tight container. I added flax seed, chai seeds, coconut, whole wheat flour instead of white and coconut oil instead of veg oil. I added mini dark chocolate chips and reduced he raisins a little. I did leave about an inch on each end to make the bars thicker. Make sure they are cut while warm.

I took parts of the initial recipe and other reviewers suggestions. Here is what I ended up doing: 1 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal, 2 cups oats, 1 cup raisins, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 cup chopped pecans , 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 eggs (used egg whites), 1 cup applesauce, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. I also sprinkled some more almonds onto the top and gently pushed them in the "dough". Cooked in my convection oven at 350 for 23 minutes. They're very chewy on the inside and so yummy. My son who hates raisins and nuts just ate 3 bars!

I like these because they are everything the "Gobble Up Granola Snacks" mentioned by another reviewer are not. Healthy, packed with whole grains and peanut free. A huge bonus in our house, or when taking snacks somewhere else. I'll take whole grains and dried fruit over puffed white rice, corn syrup and peanut butter any day.

Easy to make and delicious! I omit the raisins and add 1/4 C mini chocolate chips and 1/4 C sunflower seeds. I also decrease the brown sugar to 1/2 C and they are plenty sweet. Instead of wheat germ, I use ground flax seed.

I accidentally added another egg, and it made them really chewy! Yummy.

These are delicious! I would recommend this recipe. I added a few things to make it even more healthful...chopped walnuts and almonds, 1/2 cup milled flax seed, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 cup apple sauce (because it seemed dry). I used stone ground whole wheat flour, old fashioned oats, clover honey, and canola oil. I love how moist these are! They are like eating a healthy oatmeal cookie!

This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! I too cooked for a bit less time (just under 25 min.), and mine are nice and chewy. Thanks for submitting this recipe!

I cut way back on the sugar, but they are still great!

I made several changes to this recipe but only to make it a healthy, wholesome snack. Instead of using brown sugar I used succinate, white whole wheat flour in place of AP flour, and coconut oil instead of veggie oil. I also added craisins and a few chopped pecans. The combination exchanges are limitless. I love this granola bar and my grandkids (who are very picky) gobbled them up within minutes of me presenting them.

Awesome starter recipe! I made the following changes: - Used only 1/2 c sugar - Craisins instead of raisins - No honey - Instead of oil, I used 1/2 c crunchy peanut butter and 3/4 of a small banana - I added 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce - Added 3/4 c of mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips The granola bars are incredibly chewy and absolutely delicious. I baked them for only 20 minutes - just until the edges started to brown. Yum! Also, when I put my recipe into Weight Watchers, for 24 servings, the bars are 4 pointsplus per serving. Enjoy!!!

These were awesome! i tweaked the recipe a little so im not sure how it would have went if i didnt add the little tweaks in, but boy am i glad i did! First off instead of the all purpose flour i used whole wheat pastry flour(1 cup). I used the big grain brown sugar because thats what i had and it subsituted very well. I also only used 1/2 cup of the big grain cane sugar). I increased the cinnamon to 1t. i used 1/4 c of craisins and equal parts raisins(1/2 c total of both). I used 1/4 c of local raw honey and 1/4 c of maple grade A organic maple syrup. 2 eggs instead of 1 because all of the extra ingredients i was using. And in my food processor i chop up about a handful of mixed almonds and walnuts also chopped some banana chips together(sorry i just eyeballed the almonds, walnuts, and bananas...no exact measurements). I also threw in some shredded coconut (no measurement). OHH and how can i forget?! I used one vanilla pod and scrapped out all the vanilla seeds out the vanilla pod(some may know it as a vanilla bean but the correct terminology is a vanilla pod), therefore i cut the vanilla extract back down to 1t. in all this was so tasty. i cant wait to come up with the next concoction for this recipe. just to note im a huge sweet lover and this was sweet. if wanted- the sugar and honey and maple syrup could be scaled back more than I did.

Love this recipe! I'm allergic to cinnamon, so this prevents me from buying store bought granola bars. I took the advice of one reviewer and only baked them for about 18 minutes, cooled for 10 minutes, cut into bars, and allowed them to cool completely before removing them. They were delicious and chewy! I look forward to making them again with different dried fruit. I will never buy store bought again!!

More like a thick oatmeal cookie than a granola bar. I baked mine only 25 mins. and they stayed nice and chewy. A plastic knife cut the bars better than stainless. Too sweet for my taste. Next time I'll reduce brown sugar to 1/2 cup and add dried cranberries and almonds. Will also try cutting the oil by half with applesauce, using whole wheat flour and ground flax seed to increase nutritional value.

As is, this is a GREAT recipe! After making them many times, I've come up with a version that suits my family the best. I cut the brown sugar down to 1/4 of a cup, 3/4 is overkill along with the honey. I use whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose. I also use fewer raisins, 3/4 c. is overkill again. I use 1/4 cup of cinnamon applesauce in place of the egg (so no egg). Then add lots of natural peanut butter. So I've turned this recipe into a very wholesome, nutritious, vegan snack that we all devour. I need to make them twice a week! But I'm serious when I say that the original recipe is great ;o)

The first time I made this I forgot to add the flour!! So the next time I made it I made sure I added the flour and it turns out my husband and I like it better without the flour!! The flour made the granola bars soooo dry. With out the flour it was really most and instead of raisins we used chocolate chips and the flavor was really good. Next time I will use only 1/3 or 1/2 cup of flour instead of a whole cup.

Love these! I use whole wheat flour and line the pan with parchment paper so they're easy to remove from the pan for slicing. I think they're better the next day! I will try some of the variations next time. I put them in my husband's lunch at seeding/harvest time.

This is my first time to make granola bars. I just finished making them and they are really great. I bought a mix of dried fruits and then added a mix of nuts (soy nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds). I think I cooked a little too long...the edges started to darkly brown. Next time I will cook for 25 minutes. Also, will bake on parchment paper next to make for easy removal from pan. Thanks for a great recipe.

Just made some of these- so yummy! Family loved them too and they smelled great when baking! I ran out of honey so I used about half honey half maple syrup, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/3 cup of brown sugar, but it was still plenty sweet. Can't wait to try variations of it!

This is a great recipe - I reduced the brown sugar to 1/2cup and usually add chocolate chips instead of raisins, but this recipe is very easy to change out things and it still turns out great. I like them a bit thinner so I spread it the full amount of a 9x13 pan. The kids LOVE these. Much healthier and cheaper than store-bought.

My 5 year old daughter loves these. I make them with chocolate chips though and replace the wheat germ with Flax seeds. Her school is nut free so these are great for her lunch box snack.

I was concerned these bars would be too sweet,but they were just about perfect.

This is my second time I made the recipe. Always split them into 2 parts, one with raisin and one with choc chips. Put them side by side in one pan because they are not runny. Cut down the sugar to 1/3 only and use whole wheat fluor. Hmmm, can't wait to cut them...

Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. My boys loved it. I made some changes as suggested by the other comments and it turned out fantastic. Real keeper

These are GREAT!! I did a few changes - like brown rice flour & ground flax seed instead of wheat germ. For the fruits I used chopped dried apricots along with walnuts. On some I drizzled a bit of melted white chocolate chips - they were good that way - but really didn't need it. I have tried several granola bars recipes - so far this is my all time favorite!! My changes were personal - I doubt they changed the flavor of the bars much at all - maybe the texture a bit. Thanks!!

Why did I make these?? I can't stop eating them!! I did change the oil to canola, added at teaspoon of vanilla and cut sugar to 1/3 cup. Added rasins and sliced almonds. SOOO GOOD! Only cooked about 20 min.

I followed the core recipe pretty closely, and doubled it so I could use a jelly roll pan (and because I have six people in my family, including four avid granola bar eaters). I used whole wheat flour instead of white, and coconut oil instead of vegetable. I used 2 Tbsp. vanilla (probably very slightly too much-would try 5 tsp next time). I used peanut butter (a little more than 1/2 c for the doubled recipe), and therefore only used a drizzle of honey. I used 1 1/2c. chocolate chips. I omitted cinnamon. It was a little too salty (I used natural peanut butter, so that would not have added any), so I would reduce that next time. I also used 1 c. brown sugar (for doubled recipe). I'm a sucker for things right out of the oven, and the taste was good then-we'll see how it tastes and how crunchy they are when cooled. I am also eager to try a fruit and nut version with sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and almonds. In that case, I'll use the full amount of honey. Not sure about the cinnamon with those other ingredients. Thanks for the recipe!

These were very good. More like a granola cookie but delicious just the same. I replaced the AP flour with whole wheat and changed the oil to liquid lecithin. I added a generous amount of Benefiber to up the health factor. I used egg beaters also. Kids chose to add walnuts and some finely diced apple pieces that we precooked in the microwave for a few minutes just to soften a bit. Easy recipe to change up or use up what you have on hand. Already have ideas for the next batch!

I love this recipe - I followed someone's advice about using less brown sugar and it was great! I also substituted flaxseed instead of wheat germ. Most importantly I highly recommend NOT using your hands - nonstick spatula worked great, the first time when I used my hands was a sticky disaster!!

The first time I made these, I used 1 cup of apple sauce instead of canola oil and 3 cups of oats. The bars tasted ok, but their texture was rubbery. The second time I made these, I did them in two batches, the first using canola oil and the second using apple sauce again. Definitely, DEFINITELY, go with the canola oil. It produces a much better texture.

Love these granola bars. We add coconut to them along with dark choc. chips. I only bake them for 20 minutes so that they are chewy. I also replace wheat germ with toasted flax seed. Can't get enough of these!!

Great basic recipe that you can adjust to your families needs. I add coconut and dark chocolate chips. They stay soft for me and disappear quick! I double and spread out in a cookie sheet that has 1 inch sides. They come out thick but I just cut them smaller, doesn't matter, they are gone within days.

For those of you looking for a low-fat treat DO NOT use just applesauce. I used one cup of applesauce and whole wheat flour and they turned out so dense and not flavorful at all (with the whole wheat flour and reduced br sugar). So sorry I messed with this recipe now. I was looking forward to eating it! I will have to try this out without modifications next time.

Sorry, didn't care for these as written.

This was a great recipe. I made it with 1/2 the honey and I didn't have wheat germ. Used trail mix instead of jut raisins. Took it out at 20 min just as the edges were turning brown. They are chewy and gooey. Husband lives it. As does my 6 yr old very picker eater. It's a keeper. Can mix in all kinds of goodness.

Easy, fast, always turn out, flexible, and did I mention delicious?

These are not bad, but not great. The batter was so sticky and wet I would not reccommend mixing it by hand. I added semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of raisins. Also, even by reducing the sugar to 1/3 cup they are still too sweet. You could probably omit the sugar altogether and just use the sweetness of the honey. Or go 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey. The bars are also 'cakey' not really like a granola bar. I think I will try these again, but use less flour and omit the sugar. On the plus side, my kids really like them.

Greeeeeeeeeeeeat recipe. I followed other users' suggestions and my granola bars came out REALLY good! Lowered the brown sugar to 1/2 cup, added 1/4 cup peanut butter & 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds; didn't spread the batter onto the whole 9x13 baking sheet, instead, I did a half an inch height / 9"x9" square (it stays exactly where you extend it) and baked it for 25 minutes. Delicious granola bars!

I sent these granola bars to my boyfriend in Afghanistan. They stayed fresh the whole way over there, and were a big hit in his shop! They got eaten even before the cookies I sent did. I added carob chips for an extra sweet treat. :) If you are looking for a recipe to ship I highly recommend this one, I just made my second batch to ship overseas!

This is the first granola recipe i tried (excluding the wheat germ) so to me its like to foundation for ALL the OTHER creations ive made since. Thank you so much because it was easy enough and I had all the ingredients in my cabinets/fridge. They are very tasty and i usually add flax seed in it as well.

super easy. have tried with peanut butter, raisins, applesauce, etc. Everything seems to work :)

It is very sweet, next time will lessen the sugar and honey...

I found this recipe to be ok. I like crunchy granola bars and these were chewy like a bar cookie but none the less me my husband and my twin 18 mo. olds enjoyed them. Couldn't convince the thre year old though. The only change I made was to add craisins instead of raisins.

Great recipe, I lowered the oil to 1/3 c and used olive oil instead of vegetable, lowered the sugar to 1/3 c and honey to 1/3 c, added 1/2 c of unsweetened applesauce and raised the cinnamon to 1tsp. I added an extra spoon of vanilla, 3/4 of raisins, and I used whole wheat flour instead of regular. Next time I probably wont use oil at all, except in the pan. From others' suggestions, I only cooked it for 18min, and they tuned out moist and delicious. I didn't have any wheat germ, so I took a protein cereal and ground it in a nut grinder and used that instead an it worked out great.

Loved them! Super versatile, I can't wait to see what other concoctions I can come up with!! :) Thanks for sharing!

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe many moons ago. It is a regular staple in our house. I make a batch on the weekends and then we eat them for breakfast on-the-go through out the week. We have also tried adding dried cherries or cranberries in lieu of the raisins and it is very good!

This is a great find that always turns out delicious! The only problem with them is-in our house they're eaten while they're still cooling so they don't last long.

These are very easy to throw together for snacks or to pack in lunches! You can really mix and match different ingredients if you like. For example, I used ground flax seed instead of wheat germ and a little less sugar. I also added in some coconut and almonds instead of raisins. It's a great base to play around with. I have also made them the exact way the recipe says and they were still fantastic. I did take someone's advice and took them out early. I like a softer granola bar and my oven runs hot so 15 minutes were all mine took! These are now a staple!

These are wonderful! My husband and daughter really enjoyed them and I can see this as a weekday morning staple in our home. Made some minor changes based on what i had in the house: (1) subbed applesauce for oil, (2) cut brown sugar down to 1/2 cup and will reduce even more next time, (3) left out vanilla extract (4) added one packet of 'strawberries and cream' instant oatmeal for slight berry flavor, (5) brushed top with honey and returned to oven for the last 5 minutes. [Note: did a second batch because the first disappeared in a day, and used peanut butter, raisins and walnuts - delicious!!] My husband thought these were absolutely amazing and asked me to make them again for him to take to work as a mid-morning snack.

This is my favorite granola bar recipe. It is so versatile, you can add or omit whatever suits your taste of the day. I usually add 1/2 cup applesauce, replace the wheat germ with ground flax seed, add some (eyeball it) walnuts, almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dark chocolate chips. I also replace the flour with gluten-free flour and add a 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum. They come out great and the whole family loves them.

did not turn out as I expected, I will probably try again and make some modifications.

I am vey pleased with this recipe. I used gluten free flour and apricots instead of raisins. I even used an egg substitute. We have someone with a lot of allergies and I really had to tweak it and it still turned out great!

I thought this was a great recipe base! The only thing I suggest is that for people who don't like things very sweet, I cut back on the brown sugar and honey and still found it too sweet since there are raisins, and I had also added dates. Yum!

This is hands down the best recipe period I have ever made as far as meeting my expectations, and not needing any changes. I've put a twist on it by adding banana chuncks and chocolate chips, strawberries, apricots, you name it, we've made it. I make army sized quantities and freeze them pre-cut, so at snack time I just have to take one out of the freezer and microwave it for 30 seconds. My 4-year-old prefers these to store bought- now THAT is saying something!

amazing, can't stop eating them. I add extra raisins.

These just came out of the oven and they smelled so good that we couldn't wait to try them. They're delicious! I made them with several tweaks to the recipe after reading several suggestions in others' reviews. I cut the brown sugar down to 1/3 c., replaced the wheat germ with 1/4 c. of milled flax seed, cut the flour down to 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, replaced the raisins with chopped dried apricots and cherries, cut the salt down to 1/2 tsp., cut the honey down to 1/4 c., and replaced half of the vegetable oil with no sugar applesauce. I also added a handful of mini chocolate chips and baked them only 18 minutes for a chewier bar. They are still plenty sweet for my taste and I'll cut back on the sugar even more next time. My 2 1/2 year old keeps asking for more and I'm having trouble staying away from them too! Thanks for the great recipe! It will be a good one to alter for variety.

So far, the best granola bar recipe I've tried. Stayed VERY moist and delicious and freeze well. I used half oil and half apple juice and it worekd just fine. I used dried cherries and a few white chocolate pieces to make the kids happy. Everyone loves these!!!

Can't say enough how good these are-I followed other reviews suggestions to reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup, used whole wheat flower, and added both dried cranberries and apricots to the fruit (and added 2x the fruit) Soooo good. I'm making them again tomorrow and plan to try adding a little orange zest into the mix.

These are probably the best granola bars I've ever made.

These were my first granola bar attempt. They were okay, but I've moved on. The flour addition makes them more like a cookie.