SMiLes by Meg

Granola Bars

Sometimes, when I lost track of time, I realize two days before I’m going on vacation that I don’t have a recipe lined up for the weekend. Occasionally, I get lucky and already have something saved that I can post. But most of the time I have to scramble and see what I can find that is fast and doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store.

This recipe hits both of those requirements: It takes less than 30 minutes to put together, and as long as you have some staples on hand, you can probably find some granola at a convenience store to fill this out. I went with Bare Naked Banana Nut granola from CVS, which ended up being a bit too sweet, but something a little less sugary would be ideal.

First, in a small saucepan, bring brown sugar, oil, and honey to boil, stirring occasionally to mix.

Next, pour that mixture over the granola in a large bowl and stir briefly to coat.

Then spread the mixture in an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, but up to overnight. Finally, slice into bars.

Store in an airtight container, and you have homemade granola bars!

As I said before, these are VERY sweet. Like, I wouldn’t take one as a snack sweet. Definitely on the dessert side of the spectrum. I think you could play around with the ratios of ingredients to cure this. Maybe use some maple syrup or molasses instead of the honey. Try different brands of granola that are less sugar-forward. That sort of thing.

And if you’re disappointed with the lack of imagination in this post, fear not – next week you’ll be getting a post from Alaska, which is always exciting. Also, I know that you’re all much more likely to make my recipes when they’re easy – Mug Brownies remain one of the most popular things I’ve posted.

Enjoy!

Granola Bars

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup sunflower oil
  • 3 cups granola

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan, heat honey, brown sugar, and oil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and bring to a boil.
  2. Remove from heat and pour over granola in a large bowl. Stir briefly to coat.
  3. Spread mixture in an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  4. Remove from pan and cut with a sharp knife into bars.