| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 24 bars |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup quick oats, organic preferred
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (found in health food stores, it’s a solid)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 3/4 cup granola, organic preferred
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, quick oats, flax seed, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, honey and peanut butter until creamy and well mixed, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the granola, cherries and coconut.
- In a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, place a piece of parchment across the bottom (it will extend over the long sides, but not the ends). Spray with nonstick spray. Add the dough to the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your hands, gently press the dough out into the pan until evenly spread. Place the pan on the middle rack and bake until the edges are starting to brown lightly and a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Then gently lift the parchment out onto a cooling rack and cool completely; it will firm up as it cools, but crumble if you move it too soon. Once completely cool, move to a cutting board and cut into bars with a bench scraper or large knife, about 3 by 1-inch each.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 247 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 17 mg |
| Sodium | 121 mg |
Reviews
These are the best home-made granola bars I’ve found. I did use coconut oil (I agree it is worth the investment and swapped almond butter for peanut butter. Also used cherry flavored craisins rather than dried cherries but still very yummy, big hit with the family!
Very tasty! I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used vegetable shortening. Instead of butter I used about a cup of applesauce. I decreased the granola to a cup and added pumpkin seeds. No problems with it falling apart. Will make it again!!
I think this recipe sounds like it is going to be worth a try. But coconut oil is a oil that you can substitute for any other oil. It has a high heat resistance and if you are looking to monitor your weight it helps in that areas as well. It is an oil that you will find in cancer fighting food books. It is so worth the investment. Just try reducing the dry ingredients a little and the cooking time and try it again. Happy eating!
I followed this recipe to a T (substitued dried cherry-flavored dried cranberries, but they are very crumbly! Lots of expensive ingredients – very disappointed the recipe did not work out. The result tastes very good, but I am disappointed that they did not “set up” properly. I’ll have to think of a fix for next time to make them “stick” better when fully cooled. Maybe more honey? More coconut oil? Not sure…
Coconut oil is just another fat so substitute it like wise by using butter or margarine, even lard [Vegetable or animal]. I too am planning to bake these but seeing how the recipe already calls for butter and peanut butter [two fatty items] I am going with the healthier substitute…Apple Sauce. *Depending on what you are making [typically baking] apple sauce can be used in recipes that call for butter, oil, and lard. Test drive the recipe with apple sauce or even butter. Worse case scenario you hate the taste, best case you like it and saved yourself from buying a jar of oil you probably won’t use again.
I have never used coconut oil. When I went to purchase it, I was shocked at the price. Is there anything that can be substituted for coconut oil?