Salty-Sweet Granola "Clusters"
Yes, I had originally set out to make granola bars. Some tasty, easily portable, better-than-the-store-bought snack bars (by the way I just mistakenly typed “bras” which is definitely not the same, ha ha). Well, things didn’t go exactly to plan, though, to be fair, I don’t think it was the recipes fault (although many others who tried the recipe complained of the same thing). You see, I was supposed to wait until the baked bars were completely cooled before cutting them. I assumed, like the others who had this little mishap I’m sure, that cooled for 45 minutes to slightly warmed was equivalent to “completely cooled.” -Sigh- And so I am sure this was my mistake, and had I waited longer these would have cut without shattering.
Well anyways, despite my “issues,” this granola was soooo good! I LOVED the honey/peanut butter binding mixture. These bars were also pretty salty which complemented the naturally sweet dried fruit extremely well.
I highly recommend making these bars, only, unlike me, be sure to wait until they are COMPLETELY cooled. I would wait a couple of hours at least; it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup whole cashews
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line both a baking sheet and an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Combine the oats, coconut, seeds, and nuts and spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, salt, honey and peanut butter over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then reduce the heat to low until the nuts/seeds are done toasting.
- In a large bowl, mix together the toasted nuts/seeds/coconut, the dried fruit, and the honey/peanut butter mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Spread the mixture into the square baking dish. With a piece of wax paper, press down on the granola to create a smooth, even surface.
- Bake the granola for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool COMPLETELY. Cut with a very sharp knife and store in an airtight container.
Makes 16 bars at 195 calories each.
Great recipe! I love making granola bars, and I also always end up with chunks, which I use anyway:) BTW, you pic is great! I clicked on it on Foodgawker (which I only use now instead of TS anyway, cuz of their great favoriting features, etc.) So, I am really glad you posted it there! Looks delicious!
The breakaway clusters I just put in some Greek Yogurt and its divine!Thanks for the comment on the picture; I really do appreciate as I'm still trying to find my footing in this whole food photography scene. I know I need to get a DSLR as I just use a point-and-shoot but first I think I need to work on things like "composition," ha ha.
Wow these look freaking delicious! And healthy too, always a plus ;D
Wow those look so good! And healthy too. I love the picture of the oats, cashews, flax seed, and sesame seeds. Yum!
Love this one!! Going to try it out tonight. š
Awesome! I'd love to hear how it goes!
I haven't made this recipe in ages. It's one of the first recipe ever on my blog, but I remember it being amazing!