Granola Bars

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: All-Star Healthy Makeover

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (28)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(28)

Cook Time:
40 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
16 (2-inch) squares

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 40 min
Total:: 1 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, about 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, about 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Granola Bars
Mike West Fargo, ND 11-18-2009
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cure for crumbling
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I agree with person right before me that you have to get them out of the pan while still a little warm. To dramatically... reduce the crumbling, right after I toast the seeds/grains I put them in the blender for a few pulses. I don't make a complete powder out of it, but just enough powder to fill the cracks and cut the size of each seed/grain down a bit. This really cuts down on the crumbling both during cutting and eating. BTW, I use the ingredients exactly as the recipe states except I prefer my sunflower seeds to not have shells on them. Read more
recipe Granola Bars
null null, null 09-29-2009
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Great taste, but not directions
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

1) No shells on sunflower seeds ? even birds don?t eat the shells! 2) The mixture of sugar and honey can be warmed over a... water bath ? that way you don?t have to worry about overheating it. 3) To press everything down in the glass pan you can wet your hand in water, don?t need oil. 4) Most importantly, you have to cut the bars and take them out of the pan while they are still slightly warm. It they are hot they will crumble, if they are cold ? good luck getting them out at all. 5) I substituted wheat germ with flax meal. I liked the taste much better (but it?s a matter of taste I guess ? I liked the stronger taste of flax), and it probably has more health benefits. Also, at Whole Foods it?s 4 times less expensive. Read more
recipe Granola Bars
Carla Lakeville, MN 09-11-2009
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Awesome!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are so quick to make and delicious! Next time I'll try a variation as others have suggested, but these are very good. ... I'm eating mine right now with some milk, and it's great as cereal!Read more
recipe Granola Bars
Cheryl Detroit, MI 08-24-2009
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VERY GOOD!!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Thank you Alton for giving me something so easy and quick to make that tastes so good! I believe I saw this particular... episode. I was just sitting at the table with some half a bag of nuts and dried fruit. I thought! Make granola with this Cheryl! It was a small amount so I wouldn't be upset if it didn't turn out right. It was wonderful! I love your show. You have taught me lot through the years. Thank you. C.P.Read more
recipe Granola Bars
Andrea Columbia, MO 07-27-2009
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So so
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I think I must have overcooked these like the other reviewers said, because they came out very crunchy and are difficult to... cut into bars. I accidentelly used a 9 X 13 pan and cooked for 25 minutes like the recipe said, I think the larger pan must have made a difference in the cooking time. The taste is ok, I substituted chopped almonds and walnuts for the nuts, and I used dried cranberries and raisins for the fruits. I would try them again using the smaller pan.Read more
recipe Granola Bars
Megan Arroyo Grande, CA 07-15-2009
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Oh yeah....
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The best part about these granola bars is that I didn't have to read the ingredients on the backs of 50 different boxes of... granola bars at the grocery store, only to give up in frustration for all the nasty stuff these people put in their "healthy" foods. These bars are delicious and easy to make. Need I say more?Read more