Fit Fare

Making your own granola bar seems like a no-brainer because you can control the ingredients in them. Many granola products on the market use palm oil, and high levels of corn syrup and other sweeteners. However, making them wasn’t so easy. Scanning the Internet I found that the majority of recipes were very high in oil and sugar. Most recipes called for cups of oil and sugar, along with honey or corn syrup. Low calorie they are not. My goal was a recipe that tasted good, while not excessively high in sugar and fat, and lower than 240 calories per bar.

I finally found my bar, courtesy of Alton Brown. The recipe called for less fat and sugar than many other recipes and received rave reviews from most people who baked them. All the reviews said the bar was delicious, with one major problem: they had a tendency to fall apart when you tried to cut them into squares. Fortunately, the reason the bars crumbled was easily determined. The recipe says to wait until the bars are completely cooled before cutting, but most people couldn’t resist cutting them while they were warm.

I made sure to follow the recipe’s instructions and my bars did not fall apart at all. Here are my tips for making these delicious bars. Make sure you brown the oat mixture in the oven, it provides a wonderful flavor. When you combine the oat mixture and the caramel, it will be very hot. I was unable to press the oat mixture into the pan because it burned my fingers. Instead, I sprayed the bottom of a glass with Pam and used it to press the mixture firmly into a uniform layer. Then, I put the pan in the refrigerator and let it stay there for several hours until it was cold. I needed a heavy chef’s knife to cut the bars, because they were hard from the cold. They tasted wonderful, particularly when they came to room temperature.

Yes, the recipe calls for two tablespoons of butter. Someone else might want to substitute another oil. I wouldn’t try to cut back on the brown sugar or honey. It’s necessary to hold the bars together. And the bottom line? 193 calories, 30.52 carbs, 4.5 grams protein, 6.8 grams fat, 3.66 fiber. For people who love granola bars, these may be just the thing for breakfast or a snack.

Granola Bars (Alton Brown)

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1-1/2 oz raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 oz sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1-1/2 oz wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 oz honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1-3/4 oz dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6-1/2 oz chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries
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Butter (or spray with Pam) a 9 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
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Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into 12 squares, store in an airtight container for up to a week.