Homemade Granola (Bars too)

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baldzach
baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
in Recipes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup (half stick) butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine in a saucepan and stir constantly until well combined. Then pour over:

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup crushed (or slivered) almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds

Mix well until it's a big gooey mess. Then spread on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray in a thin layer. Spray the top with cooking spray too (adds a small amount of fat, but helps it to crisp up) Bake at 325 for 45 minutes, taking out every 15 minutes to stir and break up chunks. Each time to stir it up, spray the top with cooking spray again. Let cool completely and break up into chunks. I like to leave it out overnight to dry a little more, then store in an airtight container.

Alternatively, this makes great bars as well. Once you have it all mixed together, don't cook it. Instead, just press it into a 9 x 13 pan lined with wax paper. Press it tight or they fall apart. I use a smaller pan to push down on and really give it all my weight. Then I sprinkle the top with mini chocolate chips and press again, then cool completely and cut into bars. Makes about 20 bars. Also, in the bar version, I add about a cup of rice krispies to the dry ingredients. It gives it a nice texture. Peace.
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Replies

  • Bella1hud
    Bella1hud Posts: 530 Member
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    Sounds yummy! What would the calorie count be?
  • mapinkerton
    mapinkerton Posts: 147
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    I use a recipe similar to that. Over time I have gradually decreased the sugar and honey. Still tastes great!
  • tmcowan
    tmcowan Posts: 322 Member
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    Thanks!! Sounds Great!
  • daves1grl
    daves1grl Posts: 26
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    Thanks, sounds delicious!
  • Jillk1023
    Jillk1023 Posts: 121 Member
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    bump
  • baldzach
    baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
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    I use a recipe similar to that. Over time I have gradually decreased the sugar and honey. Still tastes great!

    This is reduced from what I used to use. It comes to a point where you still need something to hold it together. :)
  • Iceskatefanrn
    Iceskatefanrn Posts: 489 Member
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    Gonna try this, thanx!
  • mapinkerton
    mapinkerton Posts: 147
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    I reduced more of the sugar than the honey. Still holds together.
  • jgerbe2
    jgerbe2 Posts: 57 Member
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    bump
  • baldzach
    baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
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    Sounds yummy! What would the calorie count be?

    Depends on how much you eat. :)

    If you divide it into 10 servings, you get 378 calories, 22 g fat (5 g saturated), 12mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 39g carbs (23g sugar), 5g fiber.
  • morefitmom
    morefitmom Posts: 264 Member
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    hmm sounds good
  • mrsanderson404
    mrsanderson404 Posts: 120
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    So if you make the bars, you don't bake it at all? These look great.....lots of fiber....much cheaper than the store bought....How long will they keep in airtight containers? I would probably freeze some too, just wondering.
  • baldzach
    baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
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    So if you make the bars, you don't bake it at all? These look great.....lots of fiber....much cheaper than the store bought....How long will they keep in airtight containers? I would probably freeze some too, just wondering.

    That's right, the bars aren't baked, just heat the wet ingredients until they combine well and the sugar is mostly dissolved. I don't know how long they keep... we store them in the fridge and they're never around long enough to go bad! In the fridge, they'll probably keep for a couple of weeks.
  • monylove311
    monylove311 Posts: 251 Member
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    sounds good, but i hate honey. Hungry Girl made one, but of course not with ingredients i have in the house. She also used freeze dried apples for crunch and sweetness. i have no idea where you find freeze dried apples! : )
  • jkos2jlock
    jkos2jlock Posts: 5
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    bump

    sounds good!
  • Ebelstad
    Ebelstad Posts: 9
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    sounds good, but i hate honey. Hungry Girl made one, but of course not with ingredients i have in the house. She also used freeze dried apples for crunch and sweetness. i have no idea where you find freeze dried apples! : )

    They sell freeze dried apples in the baby section. Its a baby snack. And they aren't bad if I may say so myself
  • beckymike36
    beckymike36 Posts: 105 Member
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    bump
  • claudiandw
    claudiandw Posts: 184 Member
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    That sounds good, here is one I'm hooked on :)


    GRANOLA BARS

    3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

    1 cup whole wheat flour

    1/4 cup packed brown sugar

    1/4 cup wheat germ (optional)

    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

    3/4 teaspoon salt

    1 egg, beaten

    1/4 cup honey

    1/4 cup vegetable oil

    1/4 cup applesauce (use another 1/4 cup of applesauce if you want them to be chewier)

    1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts or unsweetened coconut (optional- not added in for calories)

    Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I split make them into 2 batches and cook them in two 8 x 8" pans to please everyone in the family- one w/ nuts and coconut, the other w/ just chocolate chips)

    In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, wheat germ, spices, and salt. In medium bowl, mix together the honey, egg, oil, applesauce, PB and vanilla. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Stir well or mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. (I layered the pan w/ foil and sprayed Pam on a spatula to press them down)


    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. (I just took the foil out of the pan and cut them into 24 bars w/ a pizza cutter.)

    Nutrition Facts



    24 Servings

    Amount Per Serving (with peanut butter, and no additions if you make them w/out PB then they're about 86 calories per bar)

    Calories 117.2
  • baldzach
    baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
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    That sounds good, here is one I'm hooked on :)


    GRANOLA BARS

    3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

    1 cup whole wheat flour

    1/4 cup packed brown sugar

    1/4 cup wheat germ (optional)

    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

    3/4 teaspoon salt

    1 egg, beaten

    1/4 cup honey

    1/4 cup vegetable oil

    1/4 cup applesauce (use another 1/4 cup of applesauce if you want them to be chewier)

    1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts or unsweetened coconut (optional- not added in for calories)

    Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I split make them into 2 batches and cook them in two 8 x 8" pans to please everyone in the family- one w/ nuts and coconut, the other w/ just chocolate chips)

    In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, wheat germ, spices, and salt. In medium bowl, mix together the honey, egg, oil, applesauce, PB and vanilla. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Stir well or mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. (I layered the pan w/ foil and sprayed Pam on a spatula to press them down)


    Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. (I just took the foil out of the pan and cut them into 24 bars w/ a pizza cutter.)

    Nutrition Facts



    24 Servings

    Amount Per Serving (with peanut butter, and no additions if you make them w/out PB then they're about 86 calories per bar)

    Calories 117.2

    Those look good... are they crunchy when they're done?
  • RillSoji
    RillSoji Posts: 376 Member
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    Yum! I never thought to use peanut butter before.

    Here's another granola recipe for ya'll. I make this once a week to have for breakfast instead of cereal. It's great in a bowl of milk or on top of yogurt or what have you.

    Serving = about 2/3 cup
    Servings per batch = about 20
    Calories per serving = 354

    Crunchy, Nutty, Fruity Granola

    8 cups Whole Grain Old Fashioned Oats
    3 cups Unsalted Dry Roasted Peanuts
    2 oz package of Slivered Almonds
    2 oz package of Chopped Pecans
    1/2 cup Wheat Germ (I use toasted & ground)
    1 Tbl Ground Cinnamon
    1 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
    1 cup Canola Oil
    1 cup Sugar Free Syrup
    1.5-2 cups Mixed Dried Fruit (I use mixed berries)

    Preheat oven to 250° F. Mix together the oats, all the nuts, wheat germ and cinnamon. In a separate bowl whisk together brown sugar, canola oil and syrup. Pour the syrup mixture over the oats and stir (a lot) until it's well combined. Spread mixture evenly over two baking sheets. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and switching top/bottom rack pans occasionally. When it's done, move immediately (it hardens very quickly as it cools) into a bowl and mix in dried fruit. Nomnom!

    Edit: My friend makes this recipe too but she replaces 1 cup of peanuts with a cup of coconut instead. ^_^

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