Thursday, March 12, 2009

Soft Granola Bars




For some reason, my pantry is always littered with half-empty bags of granola. I buy it thinking I will like it, but granola is just not my thing. Well, Abby is on a granola bar kick, so I decided to put all those forgotten bags to use! These are a softer, cakier version of a granola bar than what you'll get pre-packaged but Abby and I are addicted. They are also a snap to make!
Soft Granola Bars
Prep time: 5 minutes Bake time: 10-15 minutes

2 cups prepared granola (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp agave nectar (or sub in maple syrup or honey)
1 Tbsp water
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (this is a great recipe to have your child help with!) until well-combined. Press the mixture evenly into an 8x8" baking dish (either use damp hands, or spray the bottom of a glass with non-stick spray to help you pack the mixture down). Bake until the edges are turning golden, 10-15 minutes.

Score the pan into 10 bars, but do not remove from pan until completely cooled (otherwise they'll fall apart... trust me ;-).

3 comments:

jenna said...

yum! i keep saying i'll make home-made granola bars. no problems with left over bags of granola here, we stir it into yogurt, with berries and honey and it disappears fast! love that these have flax meal in them!

Andrea said...

What is the consistency of these? My 14 month old still doesn't have teeth and I'm looking for a soft granola bar we can use when we are on the run, but one that will sort of "dissolve" or be easily chewed by her gums. Thanks!

Kara said...

Drea - as long as the granola that you use doesn't have nuts or any really tough clusters, I think these would be just fine. The bar itself is fairly cakey and crumbles easily. Given the right granola, I'd definitely give them to my 10 month old (who has her front 8 teeth, but no molars just yet!). They are definitely not hard or chewy like a granola bar that you would buy in a box.