Granola Bars

Here is a pictorial demonstration of how I make my granola bars. Enjoy!

Mix together 2 1/4 cups oats, 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, and 1 cup nuts (I used pecans) and toast in a 400 degree for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 1/2 brown sugar (I use Sucanat - unrefined cane sugar), 2/3 cup honey, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp salt over a medium flame.

After a while it will look like this. The longer you cook it, the harder your granola bars will be. I like my granola bars a bit chewy (but not falling apart) so I cook mine until my candy thermometer just goes over 2o0. However, these days I am not even using my thermometer. I take it off the stove after it starts really foaming for a minute or two.

Mix the oat mixture and the honey mixture in a bowl until combined. This is where you will add any other additions you might want. I have used things like raisins, dried figs, and mini chocolate chips. I try to make the additions I use not go over 1 cup total.

Dump the mixture into a buttered 9x13 glass dish.

The mixture will be hot, so take care. Press the mixture down using wax paper. Let the bars cool. Be sure to remove the wax paper first!

When the bars are barely warm, turn them out onto a cutting board and cut them up!

Now you can wrap them individually for lunches and snacks! I made a batch the other day and I got 18 granola bars - very economical!

The kids and hubby like these a lot! I would like to try a soaked version soon but I am waiting for cooler weather since I would have to use my oven for quite some time! I will post an update as soon as I do that.