Kitchen Experiment

i have wanted to make granola bars for a long time but have been looking for a healthy, easy, good recipe.  there are millions out there but none ever sound good (or they are extremely unhealthy).  i decided i would experiment with a variety of recipes and pick what i wanted to put in it.  i knew the basics of granola and than added what i wanted.  they turned out so tasty!

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a baking, the smaller the thicker the granola bars will be (you decide the size and thickness you prefer).


Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and pumpkin seeds together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. 


Pour the oatmeal, almond, and pumpkin seed mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.


While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press (silicon spatula work great for this) until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.


Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.  You can store them in a airtight container, fridge, or freezer.