My irresistible granola bars!

Nut-free with Dried Papaya and Dried Pineapple

Below are several variations of granola bars. You can modify them to your preference with different dried fruits, nuts, seeds, etc. I keep sesame seeds and flax meal in all versions, varying nuts/seeds, nut/seed butters, and dried fruit.  The recipe is fairly easy – mix some wet ingredients, some dry ingredients, combine and bake!

Basic Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup nut butter

1 Tbs extract (vanilla or almond)

3 cups whole oats (or combination of whole oats and quick oats)

1/3 cup chopped or crushed nuts (or combination of seeds)

1/3 cup flour (whole wheat, barley, or gluten-free mix; or coconut flour – reduce amount to ¼ cup)

1/4 cup dry milk powder

2 Tbs flax meal

2 Tbs sesame seeds

2 Tbs fine coconut flakes (can leave out)

1/2 cup dried fruit (chopped)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 tsp salt (or leave out salt if nut butter is salted)

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     Melt butter and add brown sugar, honey, nut butter, and extract. Whisk until smooth

3.     Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.

4.     Let butter mixture cool slightly, then add to dry ingredients and combine until fully mixed and sticking together.

5.     If making bars, line a baking dish or loaf pan with parchment paper. Press in mixture. Fold over ends of parchment paper and press down until well packed. Take out parchment paper with packed mixture inside and put on cookie tray. Cut into bars with a sharp knife, separate bars (gently). For cookies, put rounded tablespoonfuls of the mixture on the baking tray and pressing down gently.

6.     Bake 10 – 12 minutes for bars (or 7-9 minutes for cookies), until lightly brown around the edges. [If they are "melting" when you remove them, you can square them up with two butter knives by gently pressing the sides back into shape.]

7.     After about 10 minutes of cooling on pans, slide parchment paper with bars on top onto cooling racks. Cool COMPLETELY before moving, eating, etc.... the longer they sit the less they will fall apart. You can store them on the counter for a few days, or in the fridge or in the freezer.

Variation: Cashew-coconut-almond-cherry-chocolate (my favorite): Use cashew butter, almond extract, crushed almonds and cashews, dried cherries

Variation: Peanut Butter and Raisin: Use peanut butter, curshed almonds, almond extract, and raisins (leave out chocolate chips)

Variation: Peanut chocolate Chip (my kids's favorite): Use vanilla extract, crushed peanuts, and chocolate chips.

Variation: Nut-free with Dried Papaya and Dried Pineapple: Use sunflower seed butter, vanilla extract, dried papaya and dried pineapple, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, leave out salt (sunflower seed butter is often salted)

Also try: try pumpkin, sunflower, hemp and/or chia seeds; dried blueberries, cherries, apricots, cranberries and/or raisins. “Goodies” should total about 1 cup (including chocolate chips)

Gluten-free:  use gluten free flour mix or flours such as brown rice, coconut, chick pea, or quinoa. My favorite is coconut flour.