Homemade Healthy Granola Bars

For the times when you’re craving something sweet and doesn’t really need that “nasty” chocolate bar to fulfill your desert desire, this Homemade Healthy Granola Bars is a  healthy solution!

These granola bars are sweet, nutty, crunchy and delicious. It is great as a snack, tucked in your purse for work, for kids to bring to school and as a quick breakfast on the go.

There is nothing compared to homemade snacks, ready to be consumed: homemade muffins, milk buns that melt in your mouth and my ever favourite, gluten-free cheesy breads.

When you cook things out of scratch your meals take a different approach and the whole family benefits from it: everybody’s taste buds become more demanding for freshness and there is no way back to artificial and highly processed food.

For me, it has the sweetness I normally miss in the cold nights of this never-ending winter, with my tea. I get the added benefit of being totally satisfied and craving-free.

I love all the ingredients in this recipe, specially the taste of coconut that goes so well with cranberries. Although the original recipe, from Inna Garten, calls for dates, next time I will replace it  for a different dry fruit, probably raisins. I found dates were too sweet for me.

It was my first time using wheat germ and I was very pleased with the result and the taste. It is a healthy granola bar, easy, fast, healthy and yummy, give it a try! You will never buy granola bars again!

Homemade healthy granola bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares or breaking in chunks. Serve at room temperature.