Name: Granola Bars
Yield: 33 bars
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup sliced almonds; 3/4 cup pistachios; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/8 tsp nutmeg; 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup); 2 tbsp jam; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 cup dried cranberries

The last couple of months I found myself skipping my breakfast. I’ve been so busy trying to make a daily routine for Leo, that I totally neglected myself and my routines.

Really, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s just that when your morning starts at 5:30 am with a baby that needs your full and undivided attention, you can easily skip on your breakfast sometimes even your lunch. So, I was looking for a healthy quick breakfast and figured I should buy some granola bars, it’s just that once I saw the ingredient list I was horrified.

I know skipping on breakfast is a really bad habit, but seriously eating processed snacks didn’t seem like a real healthy alternative. So I headed into the kitchen and made my own homemade healthy granola bars with zero additives and preservatives. These keep in the fridge for up to a week, and they are really a perfect breakfast on the go or a snack, I have to say that even though I do have some great bars recipes on the blog this one is a real game-changer for me.

Granola Bars

Servings 33 bars

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup pistachios
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp jam
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread rolled oats onto baking sheet and bake until golden brown and nutty in aroma, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Spread almonds, pistachio, and sunflower seeds onto the second baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, about 10-12 minutes.
In the meantime, in a small sauce pan over medium heat, cook and stir together honey, jam, brown sugar and butter until mixture is well combined and sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from heat, add in vanilla paste, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir to combine.
Remove the nut mixture from the oven once toasted. Reduce oven to 300°F/150°C.
In a large bowl, combine the nut mixture with toasted oats. Add in the dry cranberries; stir to combine. Pour syrup mixture onto dry mixture; stir to combine.
Transfer mixture to prepare baking dish 10''x12'' (25x35 cm) and press down firmly. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into bars.