Chewy Granola Bars
This is the post where you find out how cheap I am when it comes to grocery shopping. Mike loves granola bars. He happily takes one in his lunch every day, and would probably eat more if I kept them in plain sight. However, granola bars are expensive, and he tends to go through them pretty quickly. When I found out my friend Katie (of Best Ever Banana Breadfame) was making her own granola bars, I knew I had to try it. And I’m definitely glad I did. These are amazing! They have a soft and chewy texture that’s very similar to the store bought version. They taste great, and they’re customizable – you can switch around the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. These have gotten rave reviews from everyone who’s tried them, and Mike looks forward to them in his lunch each day.
Chewy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Combine the remaining ingredients; add to peanut butter mixture and stir to coat. Press into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Don't overbake or they will get crispy. When they come out of the oven, run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the pan a little. Cool on wire racks. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen.
I individually wrap them in saran wrap and store them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. That makes it easy to grab one at a time for lunches, etc.
adapted from Taste of Home