Granola, in my opinion, is a combination of all things in their natural state combined to give you energy and nutrition. Just by adding a couple of pantry ingredients (peanut butter and honey) in this recipe, my Easy Granola Power Bars recipe is a quick and healthy grab-and-go for breakfast on the run or that mid-afternoon snack to keep you going until dinner time.

Here, I used dried cranberries as the fruit - you can combine any dried fruit you wish to give these bars your own unique taste (soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and chopped into smaller pieces.) This recipe is meant to be a guideline, meaning that you can mix and match the varieties of nuts you use. If you love walnuts more than almonds, increase the amount of walnuts in the recipe and cut down on the almonds or pecans.

The only cooking involved in this recipe is toasting the nuts and oats - which takes approximately 10 minutes. However, if you don't want that roasted taste (which is delicious,) then you can turn this into a no-cook recipe by omiting that step. Experiment with this and make your own unique granola bar recipe. It's a great way to get the kids involved in making something healthy and is a great option for breakfast with a cold glass of milk or orange juice - my children love them.

This recipe made 6 bars (pictured) which I molded into a loaf pan.


Ingredients

1 cup of dried fruit
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Start by soaking the dried fruit in hot water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain, pat dry and chop into smaller pieces. Set aside.

2. While the fruit is soaking, spread the oats on their own shallow baking sheet with the walnuts,pecans and almonds on a another sheet. Roast for approximately 10 minutes. Note:- When you start to smell the aroma from the roasting nuts, peek in the oven to make sure the whole nuts (pecans, walnuts and almonds) aren't going too dark. this will cause a bitter taste. As a rule of thumb, I remove them a couple of minutes after I can smell them. Let these cool.

3. Place the pecans, walnuts and almonds in a food processer and pulse 3 to 4 times to chop them a little (do not grind them into a powder,) we are just breaking them up a little. Add these, the toasted oats and cranberries into a bowl. Gently melt the peanut butter and honey over a low heat in a small pan and add this to the granola mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.

4. Line a small casserole dish, baking pan or whatever you have with plastic wrap. This will make it easier to remove the granola bars. Press the mixture into the dish with your hands, packing it tightly and evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until hardened and cut into pieces. Drizzle with a little extra honey if you're not on-the-go. Delicious.

These Roasted Granola Power Bars have a wonderful roasted nutty flavor, with a sweet hint of dried fruit. The peanut butter and honey are fabulous together and not overwhelming. Just delightful, healthy and filling - enjoy!