{"id":13329,"date":"2020-08-06T22:21:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T16:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tashasartisanfoods.com\/blog\/?p=13329"},"modified":"2024-09-20T00:35:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T19:05:29","slug":"easy-homemade-granola-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tashasartisanfoods.com\/blog\/easy-homemade-granola-bars\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Homemade Granola Bars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Homemade, healthy alternatives. That\u2019s been my mantra for years. <\/em>Because now boosting immunity has become all but essential, I\u2019m indulging in it even more.\u00a0That\u2019s why I ended up making the crunchiest, chewiest, and most satisfying homemade granola bars<\/strong> around. They are easy, and with such little effort, you do away with the boxed variety.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Easy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I serve homemade bread. I switched to hummus made from scratch.<\/a> I even made pop tarts at home.<\/a> So, why leave granola behind?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we load up on cheesecakes<\/a> now and then, but when it comes to snacks, healthy is our choice. And granola is our first preference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deliciously wholesome, they are perfect for when you take a breather from work from home, or the kids have a snack break during online classes. Or just when you think you need a quiet moment to yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Make Easy Homemade Granola Bars?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, rice puffs, almonds, chopped dates, and cranberries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the crispy oats and almonds pack a ton of nutrition, to lend the granola bars some extra nourishment and texture I threw in melon, flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keep the dry ingredients aside, and in a pan, gently heat coconut oil and peanut butter. Sprinkle some cinnamon, vanilla extract, and honey into it and mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember to take the mixture off the heat<\/em> before you pour the honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combine the dry and wet ingredients until you have a sticky concoction. Spoon the mixture on a parchment-lined tray to bake. FYI, if you use foil for baking, please grease it well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the granola is transferred, press hard, pack it tightly, and then let the oven do its thing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ready<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Quick notes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I highly recommend grinding the rolled oats<\/em><\/strong>. It hardly takes a minute because we\u2019re looking for a coarsely ground texture, not an oats flour-like consistency. I just used my handy dandy coffee grinder for the job. A couple of whizzes and that's it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did make a batch without grinding the oats and the result is a crumbly granola (as the photo below clearly shows!) If that rocks your boats, go ahead and carry on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Crumbly<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re like me and need the bars to hold their shape, grind the oats. They\u2019ll adhere together better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I favor mildly sweet granola and this one is already sweet because of the dates, but you can always up the volume by increasing the amount of honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking the granola bars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In about 30 minutes, the top will be golden, and you\u2019ll know that the granola is done. To check, touch the baked mixture. If it is firm with little or no give, you know it is ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that granola hardens as it cools. Because it is blazingly hot here, I slide the baked granola in the fridge for some time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\u2019s cooled completely, you can slice the granola bars in any shape \u2013 squares, rectangles, or even triangles if you\u2019re in a fun mood!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Easy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Can I Use Instead Of?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We are a family of granola devotees. Why? Because it offers freedom of choice when it comes to ingredients and flavors. So, if you don\u2019t have a particular ingredient for these homemade granola bars, you can easily substitute them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n