Are you a granola guru? Do you find yourself searching Pinterest aimlessly for the latest and tastiest treat involving oats, nuts, and fruits? Do you believe that “trail mix” can and should be enjoyed in any place, and not just simply on the trail? Then this, my friend, is the post for you!
A few months back a fellow Honeyville co-worker came to me with this simple challenge: Create a granola bar using Honeyville ingredients that is not only delicious, but also simple to make. Well, after a few months of searching for ideas and a few trial runs later, we’ve come up with this simple, easy-to-make recipe that is not only delicious, but packed full of healthy goodness. One bite, and you’ll agree, this is the granola bar recipe you’ve been searching for!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Honeyville Regular Rolled Oats
1 1/4 cups Honeyville Powdered Peanut Butter + 4 Tbsp Water
1/2 cup Honeyville Sunflower Seeds
1/3 cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Grapes
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Peanuts
1/4 cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)
1 cup Dates, pitted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
First, let’s prepare out Oats!
Spread Rolled Oats and Sunflower Seeds over a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. This will give the Oats and Sunflower Seeds a toasted taste and texture in the bars.
Take 1 cup of packed Dates.
Place in a food processor (We used the Vitamix 750) and process until a dough-like consistency forms.
Place processed Dates, Almonds, Peanuts, and Grapes in a large mixing bowl.
In a smaller mixing bowl, re-hydrate Honeyville Powdered Peanut Butter with 4 Tbsp Water. This should give you a smooth texture, similar to store brand peanut butter.
We love using Honeyville Powdered Peanut Butter, especially in recipes like this one. It’s easy to use, and reconstitutes super quick! About 1 1/4 cups Powder + 4 Tbsp Water equals about a cup of Peanut Butter.
Scoop out 1/4 cup of reconstituted Peanut Butter and place in a microwave safe bowl, along with 1/4 cup Agave Nectar.
Microwave for 30 seconds, then mix until Agave Nectar and Peanut Butter are completely combined.
Combine Oats and Sunflower Seeds with Dates, Almonds, Peanuts, and Grapes, and pour Peanut Butter/Agave blend over the top of the ingredients.
Mix until a sticky, granola-like texture begins to form.
In a parchment paper-lined 8×8 pan, pour in mixture. Using another piece of parchment paper, press down ingredients until it is uniformly flattened.
Place in refrigerator and allow to cool for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator, lift out of parchment paper, and begin to cut your bars.
We used our Wüsthof Bench Scraper to cut our bars, and it worked perfect for this job.
You can choose to cut your bars in any shape or size. We were able to yield 12 bars.
Serve, or seal in an airtight container for later. Bars should last for up 2-4 days in the refrigerator.
These bars are packed with delicious goodness that you can’t beat. They’re super hearty, and can be served as an after-school snack, an early morning breakfast, or a hiking or camping treat. The versatility of this bar is impressive, but not as much as the taste. Whether you’re a granola guru, or just looking for and afternoon energy boost, these bars are a great, healthy alternative to the traditional cookies or candy bars. Plus, did I mention how good they taste?! Try this recipe and I guarantee your family will want you to make it again and again.
