Chewy Granola Bars

1 2/3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed until finely ground in a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (total of 10 to 15 ounces)*
1/3 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, or other)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the nut butter, vanilla, melted butter and oil, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges and a bit browned on the top as well. They’ll still seem soft when you press into the center of the pan but they’ll set completely once cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way.)

Once cool, use a serrated knife or bench knife to cut the bars into squares.  If bars seem crumbly, chill them further in the fridge for 30 minutes, then cut them cold. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

Makes about 12 bars.


From King Arthur Flour website and Smitten Kitchen, with a few changes


*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, or apricots, prunes, raisins, peanuts, pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried coconut, pepitas, chocolate chips, wheat germ, flax seeds.  If the pieces are coarse, pulse them in the food processor a few times to break them up a little, unless you like them chunkier.