3 Delicious Homemade Granola Bars

Make tasty, portable treats for your family with our 3 nutritious granola bar recipes.

If you’re seeking a snack that’s light, wholesome and packed with energy, it’s hard to beat the granola bar.

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Granola bars are ideal for taking on road trips, a hike, a trip to the park or anywhere else on the go. Now you can make them at home! Whipping up your own granola bars in the kitchen is simple – plus it allows you to control every ingredient you mix in.

1. Very berry bars

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup pistachios
  • ⅓ cup cranberries*
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
  • ½ cup honey

Tip: Although we love cranberries, any dried fruit will do. Try raisins, apricots, cherries or any dried fruit your family loves.

Instructions

  1. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the honey
  3. In a small saucepan, bring honey to a boil
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently – be careful not to let honey burn
  5. Pour ⅓ cup of boiled honey over nut-and-seed mixture
  6. Mix until combined
  7. Add honey to taste

Tip: Use Dawn Platinum Dish Soap to hand wash baking pans, saucepans and other cooking utensils. It’s formulated to remove baked-on, even 48-hour, stuck-on food.

  1. Press mixture into prepared pan and let cool for 1 to 2 hours before cutting

Tip: While homemade granola bars might not come individually packaged, some parchment paper and small storage containers should do the trick for trips and hikes.

2. PB&G bars

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 4 oz. honey
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granola
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup puffed rice cereal
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped dried mixed fruit

Instructions

  1. Melt peanut butter and honey together in a saucepan over medium heat
  2. Dissolve brown sugar into the peanut butter mixture and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes
  3. Mix together granola, oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips and fruit in a large bowl
  4. Pour peanut butter mixture over the granola mixture and fold to coat
  5. Grease a cake pan, and then pour the granola mixture into the prepared pan and press into a flat layer
  6. Cool at room temperature, about 15 minutes, before cutting into bars

Tip: No time to hand wash? Pop cake pans, saucepans and mixing spoons in the dishwasher with a Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPac. The powerful formula powers through burnt-on and stuck-on messes, without the need for a prewash.

3. Choco-cherry bars

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1⅔ cups rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ chocolate bar, chopped
  • ½ cup dried cherries
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan
  2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly
  3. Place the mixture onto the prepared baking pan and pat down firmly so it’s ½ inch thick
  4. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown
  5. Allow to cool before cutting

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