I must admit I have granola almost every day…is that normal? One day it’s pistachio granola with my morning coffee, another day it’s granola sprinkled on my oatmeal for breakfast…another afternoon it’s the Acai Bowl at Crumbs with our homemade granola sprinkled on top…on the weekend granola cups filled with a smoothie. I’m definitely a granola addict!
I love the versatility of granola…you can certainly change it up and make it your own. For the bars recipe below I’ve listed several substitutions for the coconut oil, maple syrup and coconut sugar. But here are a few more:
If you don’t like almonds, swap them out for any other nut you fancy
If you don’t like coconut, add more oats or nuts
For a nut-free version increase the amount of oats and/or coconut to make up for the nuts you’ve removed
Not a cinnamon fan? How about some cardamom…
Don’t want it too sweet….leave out the dates!
Want it more sweet? Add some chocolate chips or chunks
I wouldn’t leave out the flaxseed though as it helps bind the mixture together.
So let’s make some healthy granola bars!
Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe. And stay tuned for a child friendly bar coming soon!
Pre-heat the oven to 350F or 160C. Line a 9inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan.
Place oats in a food processor and pulse briefly to break into smaller pieces. If using quick-cooking oats like Quaker brand, you can skip this step.
Place the oats, nuts and shredded coconut on baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown about 8-12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the flax meal, salt and cinnamon. Mix to incorporate and set aside.
In a small saucepan, warm up the oil, honey, coconut sugar, and vanilla just until warm and the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the oat mixture while it’s still warm, and stir to combine. Add the dates and fold in.
Transfer the granola mix to the prepared pan. Distribute the mix evenly and press down firmly with your hand. If the mixture seems sticky, dampen your fingers with a little water. Make sure you press down very well to make sure the bars don’t break apart when you slice them later on.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
Drizzle on some melted dark chocolate for an extra treat and more instagrammable photos (Forgot to do that for the photos….ooops)
Thank you Arwa for this granola, I tried it with cashew and it turned nice and tasty.
I love you and your daughter Noura She is gorgeous and sweet as my little girl, god bless you both. I love watch your snaps please keep it as it and don’t make it boring.
Love you again and if I visit Kuwait definitely I will stop by crumbs so I might get a chance to say Hi.
Hi Arwa
Thank you so much for this recipe!
What would happen if I leave out the oil? Because I’ve noticed many other recipes don’t call for oil.
Thanks again!
Hi! Without the oil the bars might not hold together and crumble.
If you prefer a whole food maybe try replacing the oil with some almond butter.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Ikram
|
4th Oct 18
Thanks for these amazing bars Arwa. I literally make them every week since i first tried making them last April 🙂
Marwa | 24th May 17
Thank you Arwa for this granola, I tried it with cashew and it turned nice and tasty.
I love you and your daughter Noura She is gorgeous and sweet as my little girl, god bless you both. I love watch your snaps please keep it as it and don’t make it boring.
Love you again and if I visit Kuwait definitely I will stop by crumbs so I might get a chance to say Hi.
Arwa | 24th May 17
Thank you Marwa you are a sweetheart! Inshallah You will visit Kuwait soon 🙂
Nour | 30th May 17
Will do it, i suggest adding the print icon on the recipe page.
thank you 🙂
Arwa | 30th May 17
Thanks Nour. إن شاء الله
خديجة | 25th Jun 18
انتي رائعة مشكورة على جهدك انا خديجة من الجزائر ومتابعة لك عاليوتيوب
Arwa | 1st Jul 18
شكراً خديجة وحياك الله ?
G | 5th Aug 18
Hi Arwa
Thank you so much for this recipe!
What would happen if I leave out the oil? Because I’ve noticed many other recipes don’t call for oil.
Thanks again!
Arwa | 9th Aug 18
Hi! Without the oil the bars might not hold together and crumble.
If you prefer a whole food maybe try replacing the oil with some almond butter.
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Ikram | 4th Oct 18
Thanks for these amazing bars Arwa. I literally make them every week since i first tried making them last April 🙂
Arwa | 5th Oct 18
Hi Ikram! So glad to hear that. Hope you’re well my dear.