Homemade Granola or Nutrition Bars

[Shel_B]

You've all seen 'em - those sweet, chewey, oat and fruit and nut filled bars promoted under the guise of being good nutrition and healthful snacks. For the most part, Toots and I find them too sweet and too much like candy.

We have several camping trips planned for the coming months. It would be nice to make some bars that we can carry while hiking, munch on in camp, and that will hold up well in the glove box or trunk of the car in warm, perhaps even hot, weather.

I had a nice recipe that wasn't too sweet and gooey which included nuts, grains, and some dried fruit, but I can't find it and, my memory being what it is, don't think I can do a good job duplicating it.

So, does anyone have a recipe or two for these bars? Preferably light on sugar and honey, and something that's simple to prepare (for last minute trips) and that can hold up well while traveling. I've ssen recipes that just call for the ingredients to be mixed, set up, and cut into serving-sized bars, and other recipes where a little baking in the oven adds a nice dimension. Either style, or a recipe that can be baked or not, would work.

Thanks!

[SylviaLovegren]

Allrecipes has quite a few different bars -- this one has a lot of positive reviews:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chewy-granola-bars/detail.aspx

(why I couldn't get the "link" thingy to work, I don't know)

Edited July 6, 2011 by SylviaLovegren (log)

[DianaM]

Most commercial breakfast cereal/granola/bars taste either too sweet, or else they taste like cardboard, I think.

I frequently make Nigella's breakfast bars, I find them delicious. Very easy to make, too. Here's the link:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/breakfast-bars-55

I use almonds instead of peanuts. One piece of advice: make sure your baking sheet is ENTIRELY covered with parchment (bottom and sides), or some other protective stuff that ensures easy release.

[thock]

Along these lines, has anyone ever tried a homemade nutrigrain-type bar? I tried a recipe I found online, but I've found that it's very difficult to spread out the layers evenly. I ended up whirring the dry ingredients in my food processor, which made for a finer-textured end result than the recipe calls for. Also, I have a problem with the bars falling apart, especially if the top layer is not evenly spread.

Tracy

[Catherine Iino]

Thanks for the lead, Diana M., on Nigella's breakfast bars. I'm assuming that "condensed milk" here means sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. Is that right?

[DanM]

Peter Reinhart's Power Bread is a great alternative. It makes an awesome PB&J sandwhich.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JJrYTmaI0UsC&lpg=PP1&dq=peter%20reinhart's%20whole%20grain%20breads&pg=PA185#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Lior]

I have been in search of this as well for a long time. Eventually I settled on my homemade trailmix which I am happy with. It changes but usually I oven/pan roast/toast nuts and seeds. I buy non sulphur dried fruits (naturally dried) such as mango,raisins, berries, cherries etc. I am always in search of some weird fruit or nut that |I have not seen or tasted before. I add chopped pieces of dark, milk and white chocolate, some pieces of cereals like corn flakes or rice krispies (you can add oats), whatever I have. For late evening snacks I love spiced roasted nuts that was posted here with a wine or cocktail. No added sugar as the fruits and chocolates take care of that. This goes with us everywhere-concerts out in the open, hikes, beach etc. If the chocolate melts-who cares-still yummy.

[Darienne]

Most commercial breakfast cereal/granola/bars taste either too sweet, or else they taste like cardboard, I think.

I frequently make Nigella's breakfast bars, I find them delicious. Very easy to make, too. Here's the link:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/breakfast-bars-55

I use almonds instead of peanuts. One piece of advice: make sure your baking sheet is ENTIRELY covered with parchment (bottom and sides), or some other protective stuff that ensures easy release.

Report back on Nigella's breakfast bars.

Turned out quite well and next time, I'll add cinnamon at least. There is no escaping that they TASTE considerably of condensed milk and if you don't like or can't bear or don't want that taste, then don't make them. Or add cinnamon or something to mitigate against the condensed milk flavor. Oh, Diana is bang on...they are not too sweet, out of the fridge at least.

For my own purposes, they are suitable until I find something else. I have to ingest 150 calories or so at 6:30 am with pills that must be taken with food. I DON'T want to eat anything at that hour...just give me a cup of coffee...but seeing as I have NO choice, these bars will work and better than anything I have come up with so far.

[Granolabar]

Hello everyone, I need help with my granola bar recipe.

 

I am trying to make granola bars using almonds, oats, 3 different types of seeds, a small amount of coconut oil and honey. Honey is the main binding ingredient and gives it that all important crunch. However, after taking the bars out of the freezer they start to loose their texture and crumble. I am heating the honey up to 125/130c, a syrup form that allows me to mix the ingredients.

 

I've tried different methods, such as changing the honey temperature and cooling temperature to ensure the texture remains crunchy after I've taken the bars out of the freezer; but nothing seems to work and I'm out of ideas now. Please could someone help or suggest different ideas? Thank you

Edited March 30, 2017 by Granolabar (log)

[pastrygirl]

Why freeze them?  Nothing in there to go bad.  Do they stay crunchy and together if you don't freeze?

[Granolabar]

The freezer helps give it more of a crunch

[chromedome]

41 minutes ago, Granolabar said:

The freezer helps give it more of a crunch

I'm confused...it gives them crunch, but ruins their crunch?

[Lisa Shock]

Bake the dry ingredients to make them crunchy (like old-school granola recipes instruct) instead of freezing???

[ChocoMom]

Well, I don't know how much help this will be, but this is the recipe I had on my Pinterest page. Made it for my kids- hence the little M&M guys.  Personally, I go for more nuts and not so much sugar/candy.  This is a baked version---not a freezer version. I've done the freezer ones, and didn't like them as much.   I think you can add other ingredients in---I always do when I feel like experimenting.

Chewy Granola Bars Recipe:

• 2 1/2 c. Oats – quick rolled oats
• 1/2 c. Rice Krispies
• 1/4 c. coconut
• 1/2 c. M&M minis
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add all of the ingredients and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8×8 pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars. Let it set completely and then cut into bars. For thinner bars, press mix into a 9×13 pan. They seem to set a little better in the 9×13 pan.

[blue_dolphin]

I have never frozen granola bars, but I can tell you that the recipe from the Chateau Lake Louise is awfully good.  I remember them with dried cherries instead of the raisins listed so I make them that way. 

They are at their very best somewhere around 8 miles into a 12 mile hike in the Canadian Rockies but they taste fine at sea level as well 

 

[keychris]

if you absolutely must freeze them, and I'm not sure I understand why you do yet (are you serving them frozen?), try vacuum sealing them so they're not absorbing moisture when you take them from the freezer.