Now I’m making my own granola bars.  I admit it…I’m completely bugged by commercial granola bars for the most part, because they’re little more than glorified candy bars.  Remember Kudos?  Super sweet granola bars covered in chocolate?  I don’t think they make those anymore, but I know they do make chocolate dipped ones.

Being a non-chocolate lover, I didn’t like them anyway, but it makes me cringe when someone offers one to my kids.  Because of course they’re little chocolate and sugar fiends and inhale anything anyone offers them.

I’ve been on the hunt all summer for a great granola bar recipe.  I remember my mom making a fabulous one when I was little (she also made jerky, fruit “leather,” and soy burgers way back before it was mainstream…she was an art teacher, what can I say).  But I’m sure she’s lost that recipe since then…it was probably written on a papyrus scroll, it’s been so long.

I didn’t want a cookie type bar, just a form of compressed granola that would hold up through a morning in a backpack, whether for a hike or to take to school.  Here’s the winner.  They are “better than store bought” according to the hooligans.

It basically a recipe from Ina Garten, but I saw various versions of it and modified it to meet my needs (and what I had in my pantry).  I also cut down on the sweetness and upped the fiber by adding flaxseeds.

Chewy, Fruity, Nutty Granola Bars

Modified slightly from Ina Garten, Food Network

(makes 16 bars)

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups diced dried fruit (I used the Our Favorite Fruits blend from King Arthur Flour)
• 4 Tbsp golden flax seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 9×13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit (mine was a mix of apricots, pineapple, dates, cranberries, and raisins) and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.

We wrapped ours in plastic wrap and them froze them in a Ziploc. Thaw them before serving at room temperature…they only take about 15 minutes to thaw sufficiently to not break your teeth.

By the way, I realize these still contain a LOT of sugar, from the honey, brown sugar, and fruit, but you could leave out half the brown sugar if you’d like.  I think you still need that amount of honey to make them stick together, though.  I did cut it down a bit from the original. So, in short, while these are not nutrition bars necessarily, at least I know what is in them, and there are no artificial chemicals or preservatives involved. So I’m going to feel good about them!

Click here for the printable recipe