Several years ago my mother-in-law gave me a granola bar recipe that I love! I have played with it a lot in order to make it healthier. Here it is…
Granola Bars
½ c. unsalted butter, melted
¼ c. brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
½ c. flaxseed meal
4 c. quick rolling oats, uncooked
1 c. walnuts, chopped*
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Melt the butter and then add the sugar. Add all other ingredients. Mix very well (make sure all of the ingredients are “wet” otherwise you will have loose granola rather than bars). Press firmly into a well greased 15”x10” jelly roll pan (Pampered Chef stone works best). Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly browned and bubbling. Remove from oven, press bars down again and return to oven for another two to three minutes. Remove bars and cut immediately. Let cool and then store in an airtight container or ziploc.
*Another variation is to skip the walnuts but add wheat germ. It gives the bars a nutty taste. I’ve found that if you do so, it’s best to add 2 more T. of melted butter to hold the bars together. If you want both walnuts and wheat germ, that works too. Just remember to add that extra butter.
