Granola bars are a delicious snack that can be enjoyed any time of day. They are convenient for travel & kid-friendly too. Best of all, they are very easy to make at home in your own kitchen. This is also a great way to get your kids into the kitchen to help, they can add their favorite ingredients & create their own granola bars.

Granola is basically nothing more than rolled oats, so they are an excellent source of dietary fiber. My recipe naturally has a few Indian touches but I have done my best to make this recipe healthy & flavorful. My Home Made Indianized Granola Bars have always been a big hit in my home – I hope your family & friends enjoy them as well.


HOME MADE "INDIANIZED" GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients:

2 cups “old-fashioned” rolled oats (not the quick cooking or instant variety)
½ cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
2 tbsp flax seed powder
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup toasted nuts, roughly chopped (almonds, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, walnuts…)
1½ cups of finely chopped dried fruits (I used golden raisins, dates, cherries & apricots)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup honey (I used orange blossom honey but any variety will work)
1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
½ tsp ground cinnamon powder
¼ tsp ground cardamom powder
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt, to taste
non-stick cooking spray

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, combine the rolled oats & the coconut flakes. Spread out in a single layer & bake on the center rack for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven & set aside to cool until needed. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 deg F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sesame seeds with the flax seed powder, wheat germ, toasted nuts & dried fruits. Now add in the rolled oats & coconut flakes. Mix well & set aside.

Then line a 9” by 13” baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment paper and the sides of the baking dish as well with the non-stick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan on medium low heat, combine the butter with the brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon powder, ground cardamom powder, nutmeg & salt. Stir well until are all the ingredients combined and the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a gentle boil and then carefully into the mixing bowl with the rolled oats, dried fruits & nuts. Mix quickly and then pour the rolled oats mixture into the baking dish. Lightly press the mixture so it is evenly spread.

Then bake the granola mixture in a 300 degree F oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden browned. Let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars. These will keep at room temperature in an airtight container.


VARIATIONS:

You can mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips to the recipe. You can also add craisins, dried pineapple, dried blueberries, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cocoa powder, coffee powder…



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