Granola Bar Bites

On Friday, I received a package of yogurts from Chobani, and the my brain started churning about what I could make to go with the yogurt to have this week.

I love granola, but usually like it homemade so I know how it’s made, and have tried many variations.

• Homemade Granola
• Homemade Banana Nut Granola Bars
• Homemade Pumpkin Granola
• No Bake Granola Bars

This time I decided to create a sticky, crumby granola that was more crunchy than crispy, but still filled with fruits and nuts. How’s that for adjectives to describe it?

I sort of combined some different recipes, flavors, and baking techniques to create Granola Bar Bites.

Granola Bar Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
• 1 C puffed cereal
• 3/4 C almonds (mixed whole and slivered)
• 2 T flax meal
• 1/4 C shredded coconut
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 C dried cranberries
• 1/3 C raisins
• 1/4 C crumbled banana chips
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1/4 C sunflower seeds
• 1/4 C brown rice syrup
• 2 T applesauce
• 2 T creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 C brown sugar

Instructions:

• In a medium sized bowl combine all dry ingredients and dried fruit.
• In a small microwave safe bowl, combine wet ingredients (brown rice syrup, applesauce, peanut butter, brown sugar) and microwave for 20-30 seconds until softer and easier to stir.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to mix well.

• Line a small brownie square baking tin (9×9) with parchment paper and pour mixture on.
• Press down and smooth out well.
• Bake at 300* for 25-30 minutes or until the top starts to brown.

• Remove and place in refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.
• Remove from refrigerator and lift the parchment paper out of the baking tin.
• Slice into squares or crumble into pieces.
• Store in airtight container.

What I liked about this granola compared to the others was it was really a mix of a crumbly granola and a bar. That’s why it’s called a bite. It did not cut nicely into bars, but didn’t completely crumble either.

I love the cranberries and raisins as they pop in your mouth, but also love the subtle hint of peanut butter and the stickiness from the syrup.

It’s not overly sweet, and is very dense in lots of nuts, seeds, and natural sugars.

Ingredient Challenge Monday: