Crunchy granola bars

 

• • 7 cups (21 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats (do not substitute quick-cooking oats!)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) light brown sugar
  • 1 TBLS vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups (6 - 7 ½ ounces) whole almonds, pecans, peanuts or walnuts, chopped coarse

 

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Toss the oats, oil and salt together in a medium bowl. Spread the mixture out over a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring often, until pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, line an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with greased foil. (Don’t use a smaller baking sheet or the bars will be too thick and won’t bake evenly.) Cook the honey and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and cinnamon (if using).
3. Transfer the toasted oat mixture to a large bowl and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Toss the oat mixture, honey mixture and nuts together until well combined. Spread the mixture over the prepared pan and press into an even layer using a greased spatula. Bake the granola bars until golden, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
4. Let the granola bars cool in the pan for 15 minutes before cutting into bars. Let cool completely, then remove individual bars from the pan using a spatula; serve. The bars can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Makes 36 bars
Variations
• Microwave 1 cup dried cranberries with ½ cup water until softened, about 4 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Add the softened cranberries and ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger to mixture in step 3.
 
• Add ½ cup sesame seeds and ½ cup unsweetened coconut to the mixture in step 3.

 

 

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