I’m sure you’re wondering: Why did Laura decide to make Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars?
Oh, you weren’t wondering? You’re just so used to me sharing recipes that you never question what inspired the recipe? And really, you probably don’t even care too much as you really just want to take a peek at the recipe to see if it looks easy and good enough to try.
It get you. I’m a “scroll to the bottom of the post and just read the recipe” kind of a gal too. But still, I wanted to tell you the question I asked myself before I looked up ideas for how to create Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars. The question was this:
What is a better use of my time – going to the store or making these at home?
It wasn’t really about money, even though making these homemade is going to save a buck or two. It wasn’t about the ingredients, even though making these homemade is going to ensure we only eat the best of the best. What was it about then?
See, now that we have little ones in the house again (currently a 5-year-old and an 8-month-old), along with our teens and college guys home for the summer, I am questioning my best use of my time for EVERYTHING. Not one minute can be wasted, you know?
We’ve been on a bit of a Nature Valley Granola Bar kick, because God is bigger than store-bought granola bars when you have a lot of people to love on. But then we ran out of the bars, and quite a few other staple snacks too. I mean, I did add them to the grocery list, but on that particular day and week, I was trying to avoid going to the store for as many days as possible.
We had fresh produce from our garden and milk from the farm. So all other meals and snacks could be made from what we had so that I wouldn’t have to mess with lugging babies to the store. Can anyone else relate to this?
So while Boy Babe was napping, Bonus Boy and I mixed these up after looking up a few ideas online. He had fun, I had fun, and you can bet that this recipe is super simple because if I’m too lazy to go to the store, I’m certainly not willing to make a difficult recipe, right?
We are very pleased with how these turned out! They include only simple, real food ingredients. They are great for breakfast or for a snack. And they pack well in the diaper bag to, you know, take to the store with us should we ever decide to go again. :)
Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars
- 3¼ cups rolled oats
- ⅔ cups flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar or sucanat
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup honey
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add honey, coconut oil, and vanilla, stirring until well combined.
- Press mixture down into a parchment paper-lined 9x13 pan.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove pan from oven, and press the bars down with another piece of parchment paper so that they stay nice and tight while cooling.
- After 15 minutes, remove the bars from the pan to cool for a few more minutes.
- Cut them into 12 bars or break into snack-sized bites.
- Allow approximately 2 hours for the bars to become crunchy.
In your current season of life, what is your preference? Buy most food store-bought or make do with what you have at home so you don’t have to mess with a grocery store run?
Mmmmm – I might try adding raisins or chocolate chips to the granola bars for variety!
These look good. I might add some cinnamon. It depends on the day whether I prefer to make homemade or a store run. ? But store runs with prayer are becoming more common since I have a teen driver happy to do the store run for me.
All of the store bought ones have bioengineering stuff in them now.
I’ve always had this weird love of shopping, but I mean grocery-type shopping (not running out and buying a million new dresses or shoes). I blame my Dad, who is the shopping king in my parents’ house. My mom enjoys very little. And since I have two young adult sons who are living at home (and a fully grown husband), I don’t have anything stopping me from running to the store.
That being said, in an ideal world (the one I have in my head), I still prefer to make everything I can at home. I crave the goodness and calm of making your own food, yet often struggle with what to make for dinner. And I’m thankful that more and more it seems healthy, real foods are becoming available and easier to obtain. So I guess a little of both suits me well.
Looking forward to trying these crunchy granola bars (when I’m not running out to the store and the ideal world in my head wins).
Wow, that was a super easy recipe! Less than 10 minutes and they are in the oven.
I like grocery shopping. When my kids were little, I took advantage of the late night hours and it became my quiet time. As the kids got older, it was fun to take them one at a time and let them pick out just a few favorite treats. Occasionally I can still convince a teen or twenty-something to go along and work the scanner for me as we shop. Sometimes the whole crew will go along. Then we divide the list and see who can find their items first. I am smiling thinking about the crazy trips to the store.
I am a “make it from scratch” kinda cook. I’m working on easing my perfectionism and encouraging my kids to help peel, chop, stir, and bake.
Oooh these sound yummy. My kids are sorta obsessed with granola bars and Lara Bars. Well pretty much anything prepackaged because they don’t get It often, lol.
I wonder if I could sub the wheat flour for an almond flour mixed with something else, hmm ?.
Thanks for sharing!
Cherelle
Hi Laura, I have just made a double batch of these and I’m wondering
when you say to wait approximately 2 hours for the bars to become crunchy, does that mean while left out on the kitchen counter, or in the refrigerator?
Would you store these in the fridge?