I had one of those days recently when I was making these granola bars, partially because of my three failed attempts at this recipe! Yes, three. Who fails at granola bars? I do. I desperately wanted to make baked granola bars. Doesn’t it just sound dreamy? Well, you know what happens when you bake granola bars (at least in my experience)? They become dry and crumbly, and you’re left with a big pan of granola – not what I’m going for. Any advice on this matter? I’d love to know. In the meantime, back to the drawing board. Instead of giving up altogether (which I did consider), I looked back on my favorite granola bar recipe for a little inspiration and found just what I needed. There’s no need to bake your granola bars once they’re formed in the pan. The only baking required is for toasting the oats and nuts to give them more flavor and crunch. Dates provide the “glue” to hold these together and keep them 100% naturally sweetened. The best part? This recipe is simple: 8 ingredients, 20 minutes (plus chilling), and easy-to-master methods. These granola bars are everything I’d hoped for! They’re: Super crunchySpeckled with oats + coconutPeanut butteryVegan + GFNaturally sweetened& Delicious These make the perfect easy breakfast or on-the-go snack. They would be especially ideal for hiking, camping, and whenever you need a post-workout nibble. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to snap a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
