Granola Bars- Clean Eating
Adapted from loosely from Ina Garten and smittenkitchen
Makes 12 to 16 granola bars
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used unsweetened)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ or 1/2 cup chia seeds
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cup dried fruit (dates, apricots, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, etc)
Note: I used dried cherries, blueberries and cranberries. This recipe is forgiving, like most granola recipes, use what you like and what you have on hand.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9 by 13-inch or an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ or chia seeds. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
Stir the honey, vanilla and salt together in a bowl. Add the warm toasted oatmeal mixture, and stir until it is well coated, add the dried fruit.
 
 
Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press it down until the mixture is evenly pressed into the pan. This is an important step, make sure the mixture is packed as tightly as possible, otherwise the bar will fall apart.
 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown.
 

Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into bars.
 

All those crumbles left from cutting the bars create a perfect bowl of granola for breakfast tomorrow.
 
 
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or so. If you want to keep them crisp, store in the freezer.

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