Make your own granola bars

Granola bars have become a huge craze in present times. They are nutritious, sustaining and above all delicious. These handy health bars are perfect for people who want something filling while they are on the run. These wholesome logs are liked and loved by kids, older adults, students and office goers all alike.

Granola bars can be baked, or one can whip up no-bake nutritious ingredients to make them. You can make these as low-calorie and high fibre for calorie counters. A loaded one with higher calorie for children can also be an alternative. Choose your type to make a tasty and nourishing bar at home.

Recipes for Granola Bars

Muesli Chocolate Bar

Cook time: 25 mins

Serve: 15-18 nos

Type: Snack

Ingredients:

Muesli (with fruits and nuts): 500g

Cadbury Nutties: 30g

Hershey’s Almond Chocolate: 100g

Assorted fruits, seeds and nuts: 100g

Butter: ¼ cup (soft but not melted)

Honey: ¼ cup to ½ cup

Sugar: 1 tbsp

Salt: a pinch

Method:

1. Take a wide vessel with some water. Put it on the stove to boil. Take another smaller bowl and add Cadbury Nutties and Hershey’s Almond Chocolate into it. Once the water starts boiling, lower the heat and place the smaller bowl in such a manner that only the bottom of the vessel touches the water. Stir the chocolate with a clean and dry spoon till the chocolates melt well. Take it off the heat.
2. Into the melted chocolate, add in the muesli, assorted fruits and nuts, butter, honey, sugar and salt. Mix well till well combined. The mixture should come together into a single mass. If the mixture does not come together, you can add in some more honey.
3. Grease and line a flat rectangular tray with butter paper or parchment paper. Put the muesli mixture onto the tray and use the back of a spatula to flatten and smoothen the muesli.
4. Bake these bars in a pre-heated oven for 12-15 mins.
5. Cool them and cut the bars into rectangles and store in dry jars. As they are too tempting, you can relish them immediately.

Roasted Chana And Nut Bar

Cook time: 20 mins

Serve: 6-8 nos

Type: Snack

Ingredients:

Roasted chana dal (Fried Bengal gram dal): 2 cups

Jaggery: 1 ½ cup

Walnuts: ¼ cup

Almonds: ¼ cup

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Prepare a square or rectangle tray by greasing and lining with butter paper or parchment paper.
2. Take a non-stick pan and warm up the ghee.
3. Melt jaggery on a slow flame. Once the jaggery melts, add in the fried Bengal gram dal.
4. Coarsely chop almonds and walnuts. Mix these well with the dal and jaggery.
5. Pour the mixture onto the tray and leave it to set for a couple of hours. Cut them with a sharp knife into squares or rectangles.
6. You can store these bars for at least six months in a clean and dry jar.

Puffed Rice Cereal Choco Bars

Cook time: 25 mins

Serve: 12-15 nos

Type: Snack

Ingredients:

Puffed rice (Murmure): 500g

Honey Cornflakes: 200g (lightly crushed)

Assorted nuts: 150g

Flaxseeds: 2-3 tbsp

Amul dark chocolate: 150g (We would need ¼ of the bar).

Peanut butter: 60 gram

Jaggery: ½ cup

Method:

1. In a double boiler, melt ¼ bar of Amul dark chocolate. Take it off the heat and add in peanut butter.
2. Mix in puffed rice, crushed honey cornflakes, nuts and flaxseeds.
3. Take another pan and melt jaggery on slow flame.
4. Mix the melted jaggery into the puffed rice and cornflakes mixture and bind well.
5. Pour this on a greased and parchment paper-lined tray. Smoothen and flatten it with the back of a spatula.
6. Once cooled and set, cut them into squares.

Dates And Coconut Bar

Cook time: 25 mins

Serve: 10-12 nos

Type: Snack

Ingredients:

Oats: 1 cup

Seedless Dates: 1 cup chopped

Desiccated coconut: 1 cup

Sesame seeds (white til): ¼ cup

Honey: ¼ cup

Butter, softened: ¼ cup

Method:

1. To make this chewy and healthy bar, take oats and dates in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in the desiccated coconut and toss in the sesame seeds too.
3. Mix these well and pour in honey and butter. Bring together the delectable mix.
4. Put the mixture in a greased and lined tray. Use the back of a spatula to tap and flatten it out gently.
5. Leave it to set for a couple of hours and cut them in dainty squares.

Granola bars can be had as a snack or as an after-meal dessert. They induce instant energy and are perfect for people who skip their breakfast. Most granola bars found in the market are high in sugar. They contain loads of hidden calories. Make your own natural and safe to consume bars for healthy living and lifestyle.