Homemade Granola Bars

I love homemade granola for breakfast or as a snack. I've tried quite a few combinations of oats, nuts and dried fruits and I pretty much like them all. I was recently watching the Food Network and saw Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, making these granola bars. They turned out to be a delicious, sweet and slightly chewy combination of oats, almonds, coconut and dried fruit held together with golden honey. To me these are just as good as a cookie and much better than commercial granola bars!

Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Click on the recipe title to go to the Food Network site and print out the recipe.

I'm sure this would be great with your own favorite combination of dried fruits and nuts. Do you have a favorite granola recipe? I'd love for you to share a link!