Michael Fischer's Recipe

Granola Bars

Category: Recipes

Granola Bars (use organic ingredients as much as you can)

2 cups of old-fashioned rolled or steel cut oats (approximately 8 ounces)
1/2 cup of hulled Sunflower Seeds ( you can add Pumpkin seeds, too)
1 cup of raw blanched almonds, sliced or chopped (I also add sesame seeds)
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup of oat germ
¼ cup of Agave
2 Tb dark brown sugar, packed
2 Tbs Coconut oil, plus extra for the pan
1 Tb of vanilla extract
1 Tb cinnamon
1 Tsp ground ginger
1/8 Tsp nutmeg and cloves
½ teaspoon of salt
8 oz. dried berries (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, etc)
Takes me about an hour to make it from start to finish.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 x 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, coconut and oat germ onto a cookie sheet, and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the oat mixture from the oven, and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees

Combine the agave, dark brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, spices and salt in a large pot and cook over medium heat just until it burbles and the brown sugar is dissolved. Let it ‘boil’ for a moment and add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, fold in the dried berries, and stir to combine while it’s still very hot. Stir vigorously to coat the grains.

Turn mixture into the prepared baking dish and press down evenly (with the bottom of a saucepan). Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Cut into squares (about 18 X 2")and store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Mind you it never lasts as long in our house.