Nutless Granola Bars

I often try to make granola bars, only to find myself with granola in the end. After watching Ina Garten so easily make granola bars for her friends, I decided to try it out again. I added dried fruits and flax seeds to her basic recipe, and omitted the nuts so I could bring them into school (nut-free) and snack on them while there.

I ended up with 17 granola bars. There should have been 18, but one completely crumbled. I had it with milk the next morning. These granola bars were pretty easy to make. I cut them after a few hours and wrapped each one in wax paper. I then stuck them in zip-top baggies and stored half on the counter and half in the freezer.

Next time I think I’ll lower the sweetness and add some chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dried coconut (I used unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup agave syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the oats and coconut for 10 minutes. When toasted, transfer to a large bowl. Add the wheat germ and mix. Lower oven to 300 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, butter and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Put aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, place the butter, honey, agave, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir and cook for one minute. Pour into the oat mixture, add the dried fruits, and mix well.
4. Transfer to baking dish. With wet fingers, lightly pack the granola bar mixture. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
5. Let cool for 3 hours before cutting. I cut mine into rectangles, but you can really do any shape you want. Pack in an airtight container (separate layers with wax paper).