How to make Basic Granola Bar at home?

Running late for work or school, Granola bars would not let you go empty stomach. Granola bars are like that friend in class who helps you mark important questions at the last minute. They are so handy, instant, storable and probably the best take away snack that can keep you going through the day.

A granola bar is also that friend of yours that you love but your parents love him more than you and your younger sibling has a crush on. These treasured bars are loved by children for they are crispy and even more loved by parents for its nutrient value. 

It doesn’t take much of your efforts in the creation of a basic granola bar. It just requires a handful of ingredients and a pinch of love. Once the basics are mastered you can always play around with the recipe according to your taste. 

Basic Granola Bar Ingredients: 

• 2 cups Granola (rolled oats)

• ½ cup shredded coconut

• ½ cup honey

• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat the oven to 325 ° F (165 ° C). Lubricate a baking dish, 9 inches in a rectangle. 

Step 2: Spread the coconut and oats uniformly across a baking vessel

Step 3: Toast oats and coconut till browned in a preheated oven, about 10 minutes; switch to a large mixing bowl.

Step 4: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt. Stir and cook until smooth. Pour the mixture of honey over the coconut and the oats; stir to coat. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared baking platter.

Step 5: Toast in a preheated oven until it begins to dry, around 15 minutes for crunchy granola bars, bake less if you want it chewy. Before cutting, let it be absolutely cool.

Let us call this as the master mix. You can make the following changes to it for miscellaneous flavours.

1. Blueberry Granola Bar = master mix + almonds + 1/2 cup dried blueberries + 1/4 cup shredded coconut. Blueberry is my new obsession since it provides a sour-sweet taste and gives granola bars a twist of flavour.

2. Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bar = master mix + pecans + 1/2 cup dried cherries + 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips. I mean who on earth doesn’t love chocolate?

3. Tropical Granola Bar = master mix + cashews + 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (pineapple, mango, and mandarin oranges) + 1/4 cup coconut.

I remember stealing cashews from the box of dry fruits that my Best Friend’s mother used to give her for school. This is one of my favourites! Perfectly crunchy and perfectly chewy.

4. White Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bar = master mix + almonds + 1/4 cup dried cranberries + 1/4 cup sunflower seeds + 1/4 cup white chocolate chips. 

I love this one berry much. No wonder the heart and cranberry are both red!

5. Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bar = master mix + 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (add this when you add the vanilla and salt and stir well to combine) + 1/2 cup Gems + 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Adding candies makes it very alluring for children. This can be their breakfast buddies or also can be packed for lunch at school.

6. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bar = master mix + 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (add this when you add the vanilla and salt and stir well to combine) + 1/3 cup broken pretzel pieces + 1/4 cup peanut butter chips + 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

These princess looking bars got my heart the first time I made them. One of my favourites.

7. Spiced Nuts Granola Bar = master mix + 1/2 cup almonds + 1/2 cup pecans + 1/2 cup cashews + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (add this when you add the vanilla and salt)

8. Sunflower Pecan Granola Bar = master mix + almonds + 1/4 cup sunflower seeds + 1/4 cup candy-coated sunflower seeds + 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Let me share one of my favourite instances with Granola bars. It was very funny but it does make sense. There was a couple in high school. Typical yet very unusual. The guy had asked her out in the most romantic way possible, leaving all the other girls of the school go insane about it. The room was painted with red with all her polaroid on a stack, curtains entangled with little fairy lights and balloons hugging the ceiling. He went on his knees and while we all were in awe and expected a ring or a flower, the guy gently took his hand out of his pocket with a bar. 

Obviously, it is not true but thinks about it, the best kind of love is when their health be it mental or physical is your priority. You can make their favourite flavoured granola bar for your loved ones too. Apart from granola bars, check out our other blog on 5 easy Granola Recipes.

If you want the best, healthy and tasty Granola to be delivered at your doorstep visit our official website www.fitandflexgranola.com and shop now.