Video:How to Make Granola Bars

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Transcript:How to Make Granola Bars

Granola Bar Ingredients

To make granola bars, you will need:

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts, any kind will work
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups dried fruit, any kind will work
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

Start by lining a 9x13 pan with foil and spraying it with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the Granola Bar Ingredients

Take the oats, coconut, wheat germ, and nuts, and dump them out on a baking sheet. If your nuts are already toasted, leave them out of this mix and we'll add them later.

Cook the Granola Bar Mixture

Stir everything together and put it in the preheated oven to get nice and toasty, for about 10-12 minutes. Check on the mixture and stir it often so it doesn't burn. Take it out once everything is golden brown and smells toasted.

Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan on the stove. Heat it up and stir it often until the butters and sugar melts and it comes to a simmer. This should smell delicious, by the way.

Bake the Granola Bars

Once your oats are out of the oven, put them in a big bowl with the dried fruit, and then pour the hot sugar syrup on top. Stir everything together really well until all of the dry ingredients are totally coated. Scrape the hot granola into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer, pressing down to compact it. Sprinkle the top with the miniature chocolate chips.

Take a piece of waxed paper, and press it on top of the granola. Now to really compact it, I like to put another 9x13 pan on top and then add something heavy. Cookbooks work great for this purpose!

Allow the bars to cool completely, at least 2-3 hours. Once they're set, take them out of the pan and cut them into rectangular bars. I usually get 16-20 from this recipe, depending on the size.

Serve the Homemade Granola Bars

Wrap them in cling wrap or foil, and store them at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for several weeks. These sweet and chewy granola bars are a great snack for school lunches, before workouts, or anytime you want a sweet treat that's a bit healthier.