the Lake Kitchen

Sweet and Chewy Granola Bars

Makes 12 bars
I came up with this recipe for a ski weekend at Whistler. We wanted to get in as much skiing in as possible, so we decided to ski through lunch. I knew we needed some energy mid-day, so I came up with these nutritionally rich granola bars, perfect for a snack on the slopes or at a beach side picnic. Crumble to make granola.

Make Ahead: Up to 5 days ahead, make the bars, keep in a covered container.

Ingredients

• 2 cups oatmeal, old fashion
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup pepitas, roasted and salted or hulled, roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup coconut, flaked, loosely packed
• ½ cup wheat germ
• ½ cup cranberries, dried
• ½ cup blueberries, dried
• 2 Tablespoons flax seeds
• ¾ cup apple, dried, finely chopped
• ½ Tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°.
2. Line a 9X13 inch baking dish with parchment and spray with non-stick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the oatmeal, almonds, pepitas, coconut and wheat germ together and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly toasted. Pour back into the bowl. Mix in cranberries, blueberries, flax seeds, apple and lemon zest.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°.
5. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir in lemon juice, honey, brown sugar and vanilla and bring to a boil for about a minute, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and pour over the oat mixture and stir until well combined. Scoop the oat mixture into the baking dish, with a greased spoon press the granola evenly and firmly into the dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turn off the oven and let cool in the oven for a few hours cut and serve.

• Tags: granola
,
• granola bars
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• healthy
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• oats
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• snack