Homemade granola bars?

[simonbaker]

I am trying to make homemade granola bars with not much luck. I've taken quaker, quick oats, Made a thick paste, added craisins, chopped walnuts & a little peanut butter to bind. I formed them into bars & baked them. They did not turn out to well. I was thinking maybe egg whites? I'm looking for a healthy homemade, filling granola bar without preservatives. Any suggestions?

[bakechef]

Maybe honey or maple syrup to help them stick together and give them some sweetness. My mom used to make them when I was a kid, don't think she still has the recipe though.

[NoraC]

When I was young and foolish and back packing a lot, I made a lot of portable, low "simple carb" foods. 40 years later, I have forgotten the recipes, but probably ought to return to such foods for other reasons. I recall that granola bars were dead easy, once you got the basic idea in your head; so, I googled around to refresh my memory. Here is an ingredient list that looks amazingly familiar:
1/2 c. honey
3/4 c. peanut butter
3 c. granola or muesli
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/3 c. dried apricots or raisins
1/4 c. toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 c. coconut
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. toasted sesame seed

The trick was to boil the honey for a while, not long enough for "soft ball" or anything, but long enough to have it cool to being a little more viscous than raw honey, then dissolve the PNB in it. Once the honey/PNB mix is combined, you add approximately 5 cups of healthy, high fiber, complex carb "stuff", mix (and think of rice krispy treats, because the process is the same), press into a greased or nonstick 9 x13, cool, cut and wrap.

The 5 C of "stuff" here is a good starting place. I think I was cheap and always used a couple of cups of old fashioned oats, toasted on a baking sheet at 375, though a good granola always played some part. I am partial to dates, so I know I used those in place of the coconut sometimes.

In the bottom of a backpack, these may be more mounds than bars after a few days, but tasted fine. They are stable in a more stable environment, lol.

...ya know, I bet that someone with a spa type restaurant could press the mix into a small bowl shape, fill that bowl with Greek yogurt, garnish with fresh fruit and have a real hit...

[Selkie]

Besides using Instant Oats in place of Quick Oats (Instant is completely pre-cooked), I don't see any reason for you to have baked anything. There are no "baking" items in your list.

Nora C has a very good recipe for what it is that you're looking for. Swap the oats for the granola of you don't happen to have any, and not everyone uses wheat germ, but if you have it, by all means use it. Her point, and mine, is to be flexible with your "stuff" but you only need to heat the honey and peanut butter, as she indicates, in order to hold everything together.

[simonbaker]

Originally Posted by NoraC

When I was young and foolish and back packing a lot, I made a lot of portable, low "simple carb" foods. 40 years later, I have forgotten the recipes, but probably ought to return to such foods for other reasons. I recall that granola bars were dead easy, once you got the basic idea in your head; so, I googled around to refresh my memory. Here is an ingredient list that looks amazingly familiar:
1/2 c. honey
3/4 c. peanut butter
3 c. granola or muesli
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/3 c. dried apricots or raisins
1/4 c. toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 c. coconut
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. toasted sesame seed

The trick was to boil the honey for a while, not long enough for "soft ball" or anything, but long enough to have it cool to being a little more viscous than raw honey, then dissolve the PNB in it. Once the honey/PNB mix is combined, you add approximately 5 cups of healthy, high fiber, complex carb "stuff", mix (and think of rice krispy treats, because the process is the same), press into a greased or nonstick 9 x13, cool, cut and wrap.

The 5 C of "stuff" here is a good starting place. I think I was cheap and always used a couple of cups of old fashioned oats, toasted on a baking sheet at 375, though a good granola always played some part. I am partial to dates, so I know I used those in place of the coconut sometimes.

In the bottom of a backpack, these may be more mounds than bars after a few days, but tasted fine. They are stable in a more stable environment, lol.

...ya know, I bet that someone with a spa type restaurant could press the mix into a small bowl shape, fill that bowl with Greek yogurt, garnish with fresh fruit and have a real hit...

Thank you nora! I will make it first thing monday morning.

[mommyNY2]

i have used recepie in the box for old fashion oats (oatmeal) on the cover

[MostlyWater]

i do better by making my own granola and then eating an energy bar later. you can google recipe for energy bar or homemade larabar.

[betterthanabox]

I am going to have to try making them!

[Fabiabi]

Making your own granola mix is fairly easy, the nuts and seeds can be a bit expensive but you get far more for your money. It's often the case that there is lots of sugar in shop bought bars so with making your own you know exactly how much sugar/honey you're putting in.

[Linda123]

This sounds great, but peanutbutter is one of the few fattening foods that I don't particularly care for. What else could I use?