Homemade Granola Bars

In college and high school, we used the term "granola" to explain a special kind of person. Someone who wears Birkenstocks exclusively, enjoys herbal tea regularly, and who probably eats organic, free-range, cage-free, sustainable, recycled granola.

Perhaps you would enjoy an example?

I went to high school with this girl...we'll call her Lola*.

*Name changed to protect the truly crunchy. PS- it's not me. This girl was WAY more of a hippy than I've ever been.

Lola marched to a different beat, a beat that no one else heard.

To call my hometown "preppy" doesn't even begin to touch it's yuppy core.

Lola wore linen- everyday. The looser the tunic, the floppy the pants, the better.

Lola was an artist- last I heard she went to RISD where I'm sure she was hugely successful.

But what made Lola truly stand out was the pouch she wore around her neck.

Any guesses what was in the pouch? I'll wait.

Shark tooth? Nope. Lucky penny? Nah. Lock of boyfriend's hair? Getting warmer.

It was her pet sugar glider.


Apparently, she needed to bond with them, so she wore them all day long.

So to review- she was/is GRANOLA.

This is also granola. Making your own granola bars is not only easy, but can make you feel somewhat superior. Who else will take the time to make nutritious power-packed snacks?

Make. Eat. Feel self-righteous.


Preheat your oven to 350. Line an 8x8 glass Pyrex with aluminum foil (or parchment paper if you're fancy) and grease well.


In an extra large mixing bowl, add oats, flour, and salt. Make sure you use the biggest bowl you've got, 'cause this is gonna get messy.

Take out your nut of choice. If it's already chopped small, you can throw them in. If they're whole, you need to take 'em down a notch.

See? Smaller.
Throw the nuts and the chocolate chips into your big bowl.

Stir it all about.


Add in your nut butter (I used sunflower seed butter) and agave.


Here comes the only hard part- you gotta mix this stuff up! Pull on your Pop-Eye pants and stir until really well combined. Once you think you've got it, drizzle on the water & vanilla and STIR SOME MORE.


Dump the sticky mess into your dish.


Pack it in really well. Use the heel of your hand to smush it in and make sure you get the corners. The tighter you pack this, the less of a chance you'll have loose bars.

No one wants loose bars.


See? Tight.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Mmm...golden brown.

Before slicing, you gotta do two things.

Thing #1) Cool the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.

Thing #2) Remove aluminum foil/parchment paper sling from the pan and place in fridge. Cool here at least 1-2 hours- til cold to the touch.

THEN you may slice.


I made my bars snack size and got twelve out of my pan.
Here's the money shot- check out those OATS!


Chocolate Almond Granola Bars
Makes ~12 granola bars

1 2/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup light salted, roasted almonds- chopped
1/3 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish with tin foil or parchment paper. Grease well.

In a very large bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, chocolate chips, and almonds. Stir to combine. Add sunflower seed butter and agave nectar. Stir well to combine. This will take some arm strength. Drizzle the vanilla and water over the top and stir again to distribute evenly.

Pat the mixture into the pan making sure to really pack it in. Use the heel of your hand to smush it in.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then remove the foil/paper sling and put in fridge to cool an additional 1-2 hours before slicing.

Banana Nut Bites

This banana nut bites are soft and full of banana flavor, kind of like petite banana breads. Sweetened only with agave nectar and real banana, they are a treat you can feel good about eating.


Start by combining whole wheat flour, toasted pecan pieces, baking powder, and salt.



In a separate bowl, whisk together an egg, vanilla, and agave nectar.



Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. With a lot of low-fat baked goods, stirring too much can toughen them.


It's ok if they're a few streaks of flour around the edges.


Grease two cookie sheets. I drizzled a couple of teaspoons of canola oil on each cookie sheet and used a paper towel to fully coat each sheet. This step is necessary because there isn't enough fat in the cookies to keep them from sticking.


Using two table spoons, drop 2 inch scoops of dough onto the cookie sheets. The cookies don't spread much, but ample space is needed for heat circulation.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes rotating the cookie sheets half way through the cooking time. Cool on a wire rack.



Banana Nut Bites

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Grease two cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, pecan pieces, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, agave, mashed banana, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Drop 2 inch scoops on greased cookies sheets. Bake ~15 minutes, rotating the sheets half way through the cooking time, until golden and cooked all the way through.

Granola Cookies

After a day of indulgence, I like to reconnect with my inner-hippie. She's very zen, only wears flip flops, and talks long walks in the sunshine.

She loves these cookies.

Full of rolled oats, sunflower seed butter, and sweetened only with agave, these are cookies you can feel good about. Eat one...or four.

For some added adventure, you could add a half cup of dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, or use almond or peanut butter instead of the sunflower seed butter. I have a feeling this is a forgiving batter.


If you're feeling really frisky, dunk them in a glass of almond milk. I won't tell.



Granola Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/4 cup agave
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Use a fork to gently flatten them to about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake 12 minutes- rotating cookie sheets midway through baking.

Makes ~27 cookies

Raspberry Pecan Streusel Bars

At our 24 watching party last night, guests noshed on eggplant dip, Trader Joe's style "Doritos", salsa, and raspberry pecan streusel bars. This hodge podge was a combination of leftovers from our Mid East feast dinner (falafel, "baba ghanoush", pita, & salad) and my recent adventures into low-glycemic baking.

Even though this final season of Jack Bauer-antics has been a thorough disappointment, these tasty South Beach friendly treats delivered big flavor. The combination of lemon and raspberry balances the hearty, slightly sweet dough bursting with toasted pecans.

The use of whole wheat flour and agave nectar make this South Beach friendly. There is a bit of butter, so it would best be enjoyed as an occasional phase 2 or 3 treat. Choose a raspberry jam that is low-sugar or sweetened only with fruit juice.

I knew these were a hit when the husband refused to take the remaining bars to work so that he could have them all to himself. Greed is a good sign.

Raspberry Pecan Streusel Bars

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup butter, diced
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup oil
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup raspberry jam
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, pecans, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Using your fingers work the butter into the flour/pecan mixture. The butter/flour clumps should be pea-sized, so that the flour, butter, and pecans are well-combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, agave, egg yolk, and vanilla until well-combined.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir together. The dough will be crumbly, which is what you are looking for.

Stir the lemon juice and raspberry jam together to thoroughly combine.

In an ungreased 9x13 pan pat 2/3 of the dough into an even layer. Spread the jam over the bottom layer leaving a 1/4 inch border. Sprinkle the rest of the dough on top- don't worry if the pieces don't touch.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Check near the end as whole wheat flour browns (burns) much quicker than white flour.

Healthy Brownies?

Agave brownies posing next to the birthday card my mom made for Gilligan's 4th birthday!

Baked goods don't have to be naughty. In fact, with a few small tweaks you can health-ify (it's a word) most yummy things. Brownies, quick breads, and bar cookies are the most adaptable as they are the most forgiving. Cookies and cakes need more adjustments.

My favorite way to increase nutrition is to use whole wheat flour. This is a one to one substitute in most recipes.

Another easy substitution is applesauce for butter. A little richness is sacrificed, but overall it's hardly noticeable.

And the latest craze in my kitchen is agave nectar. It's like honey, but better for you. It's really low on the glycemic index, which means it doesn't cause your blood sugar to spike thus making you crave junk all day. Agave nectar is actually sweeter than sugar so you can use less and still achieve the same sweetness.

Agave Brownies
from Elle's New England Kitchen

1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's Special Dark)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (I usually omit this)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped, toasted nuts

Preheat oven to 325. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. In a small mixing bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes.

These are dusted with powdered sugar- LIGHTLY- only because the box was still on the counter. Don't judge me.