Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Our favorite granola bars, and freezer friendly.  Excellent for a snack, for car trips, camping, motorcycle rides (minus the chocolate since it can melt), school lunches and more.

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper.  If you do not have parchment paper, you may be successful lining it with foil and lightly oiling it (I have only used parchment and it works great).

In a rimmed sheet pan, place 2 1/2 cups organic oats and 1/2 cup chopped organic nuts of your choice.

Heat oven to 350°F and toast oats and nuts for about 8 minutes.  If you chose to add seeds (read below for the additional 3/4 cup of your choice), I like to add them to the sheet pan and toast along with the oats and nuts.  I use hemp seeds often.

While that is toasting in the oven, in a small pan heat:

1/4 c. organic butter
1/4 c. organic honey
1/3 c. organic brown sugar

Heat on low until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add:

1/2 to 1 tsp. homemade vanilla.  I like to use 1 tsp.  Stir.

Pour toasted oat/nut/seed mix into a mixing bowl, and add:

3/4 cup of your choice of dried fruits, seeds, coconut etc. If adding chocolate bits, do not add yet.

Pour the heated honey mixture over the oat and fruit/nut mixture.

Mix well until everything is coated.  This will prevent anything crumbling off when you cut it into bars.  

*wait for mixture to cool before adding any chocolate bits to this.  

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and press down.  I like to use the back of a measuring cup to do this step.  Place in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Remove from the refrigerator, and turn upside down and remove parchment paper.  On a cutting board, slice the bars as you prefer.

Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Note:  I do not add any salt to this.  I use salted organic butter and the taste is great!  

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars  © March 2019 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart