Homemade Granola Bars Redux

I think I’m kind of obsessed with this granola bar thing.  There are so many different ways to make them – I just can’t help myself!  This time I went back to the old standby of peanut butter and chocolate chips, but I also used coconut oil and added coconut.  Try to contain your excitement.

If you’ve never used coconut oil before, it’s solid at room temperature.  I actually just put it in the bars that way and just made sure it was mixed well to distribute.  I’ve seen other granola bar recipes that instruct you to heat the coconut oil to melt it.  Try it if you want.

Now, I normally wouldn’t say I love coconut, but I went ahead and put it in here.  I have to say, the coconut got all toasty when the bars baked and added such a wonderful flavor!  I’ll definitely be making these again.

This is a small recipe – it only makes 6-8 bars, depending on how you cut them.  You could definitely scale it up and put it in an 8 x 8 or even a 9 x 13.  I’ll do this next time and let you know what measurements I use and how it works out. 🙂

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds or ground flax
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well and make sure everything is well coated.  (If it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stick together, add a little more honey or peanut butter.)  Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.  Pour the mixture into the pan and press it firmly into the pan.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges and coconut just begin to brown slightly.  Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate.  (Don’t skip the refrigeration, even if you are going to take them out and serve them at room temperature – it helps them stick together.  You just have to have a little willpower to wait!)  These do stay together better if you store them in the refrigerator after you cut them.