I love granola bars. The trouble is, they tend to be loaded with sugar and all kinds of fillers. I was eating the Kashi ones, which are one of the best available, but even they have soy lethicin in them.
Finally, I found a recipe for one that I can give my son and myself with confidence.
You will need:
- butter or oil to grease the pan
- 1 1/3 cups of rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)
- 1/2 cup oat bran
- 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal (preferrably brown)
- 1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, etc)
- 1/2 cup agave nectar (some maple syrup might work too)
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (I will try to cut this in half next time)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Here’s what you do:
- Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Mix the oats, seeds, bran, cereal, and fruit in a large bowl until well blended.
- In a small saucepan, combine the agave syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t rush this step – your bars will fall apart if you do.
- Pour over the oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Spoon into your pan and top with waxed paper. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Cool at room temperature. Remove the wax paper, cut into bars/squares. Wrap the bars individually and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Enjoy!