Tropical Granola Bars in 20 Minutes!

probably the easiest recipe I'll ever post!

Charlie has been working on a project that required him to interview a local co-op. And, after seeing their store he made a point to take me there last weekend.

I was thrilled to find locally grown whole grains, both fresh and dried fruits, a variety of cheeses made in house from local milk, and produce from the area's farms.

Think better than Whole Foods with most bulk grains available in the $1-3 per pound range

Omaha takes farm-to-table to a whole new level which is one of the many reasons I like living here.

After looking through their selection of house made items I was inspired to make my own granola bars since

the nutrition class I'm in has really opened my eyes the the lack of whole grains in our diet.

Granola bars seemed like a fun way to increase our grain intake.

My ultimate goal is to make a great tasting chewy granola bar this is healthy in regards to sugar and fat and calorie content.

I looked at a recipes from The Minimalist Baker as well as Inspired Taste and crafted my bars in their image with my desired flavor profile.

I followed the Inspired Taste recipe almost to the letter because I've learned my lesson on altering recipes before I try the original at least once.

Ingredients

    2 1/2 cups (230 grams) old fashioned rolled oats*

    1/2 cup (55 grams) unsalted sunflower seeds, unsalted

    1/3 cup (113 grams) honey

    1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

    1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    1/2 cup (60 grams) dried papaya, coarsely chopped

    1/2 cup  (40 grams) unsweetened coconut flakes

*Anything that says instant or quick cook is NOT a whole grain.

Directions

Toast oats at 350 for 15 minutes (optional). Once oats are toasted or if you want to use them raw, set aside

pressed in the pan

in a bowl.

Combine sunflower seeds, papaya, coconut, salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat honey, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract over low heat. Once honey mixture is combined and hot (do not boil), pour over oats and mix.

Then add oat mixture to the bowl of other dry ingredients.

Use a spatula combine or your hand if the mixture has cooled enough to touch. Press the mixture in to square pan lined with plastic wrap.

popped out on to a cutting board

If you want a really thick bar use a smaller pan. For reference, I used an 8x12 pan.

Spend several minutes pressing the mixture down.

I did this by laying an additional sheet of plastic wrap on top of the flattened mixture and  pressing with my hand for several minutes.

The pressing is what helps the bars hold together.

Cover and chill for at least an hour. Then remove from pan and cut. I portioned my pan in to 12 bars and 1 bar is what the nutrition analysis is on.

3 out of 12

These bars turned out great and they taste amazing.

Charlie's comment was "You could sell these."

That's high praise from him!

Now that I know how they turn out I am ready to work on lowering the fat and sugar content.

Next time I'll probably omit the butter and reduce or remove the brown sugar.

If you are eating a diet full of fruits, veggies, and low fat/calorie protein, the fat in these granola bars is acceptable to help you meet your daily needs.

You do need fat in your diet. It just needs to be a controlled amount.

For sugar, I'd rather get my sugar from natural sources (fruit/honey) instead of processed sugar any day but I think I can get these numbers down to make them more healthful while keeping them tasty.

I really love the versatility of this recipe; there are endless fruit and nut possibilities!