Easy to make granola bar recipe that you can adjust by adding your favorite ingredients. Bake longer for a more crunchy, chewy granola bar or less for a softer chewy bar.
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins or other items such as cranberries, chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.
Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the greased pan.
Back for 30-35 minutes in the oven until the edges turn golden. Cool for 5 minutes. Important, cut bars while they are still warm or they will be difficult to cut.
Vary the cooking time to see if you prefer it to be softer and chewier or chewy with a bit of crunch on the edges. Depending on your oven 20-25 will make a softer bar and 30-35 a chewier bar. It will not be quite as crunchy like the Nature Valley bars from our experience.
Try not to overcook however, if you cook it with more crunch than you want, simply crumble it to make a snacking granola or add it to your breakfast oatmeal or yogurt.
This was the 3rd recipe that we tried. We did try two with fewer ingredients, but it was very evident when I had my family do a taste test. This was our favorite and we have made it several times now. It makes a great after school snack or snack for parties.
Variations on this Granola Bar
Substitute raisins with dried cranberries or apple bits or other dried fruit of your choice. For a sweet bar add a few chocolate chips. Your total additions should not exceed 3/4 cup.
Next time I'll try adding 1/4 cup peanut butter but this is best for family only with the high number of peanut allergies.