Hi Bold Bakers!
I know it is back to school time but I am going to brighten up your day with my no bake
granola bars.
They are perfect for lunchboxes and afternoon snacks.
So here’s what’s fantastic about these granola bars.
We’re going to make one base recipe and then from that, you can make any flavor you
want.
I’m going to show you some of my favorites but first we’re going to make the base for
our granola bars.
So in a large bowl, we’re going to add in some oats.
Rolled oats or quick cooking oats work perfectly.
Into the oats, we’re going to add in some Rice Krispies.
Generally, I always have these in my house.
So those are the simple dry ingredients for the base.
Now we’re going to move onto the wet ingredients.
So into another bowl, we’re going to add in some butter, brown sugar, if you don’t
have brown sugar you can use white but brown sugar is preferable, and then some liquid
sugar.
I’m using honey, you can use agave, maple syrup, any liquid sugar.
So our next step is to pop this into a microwave or you can put it into a small saucepan and
you want to let it simmer up for around 2 minutes.
It will create a nice caramel and then we’ll put that onto our dry ingredients.
So our little caramel is out of the microwave, smells delicious.
So to this, you want to add in a little bit of salt.
Salt helps to bring out all the lovely flavors of the ingredients you’re going to put into
it.
We’re also going to add in a little bit of vanilla extract.
Now this is optional just in case you don’t have it or you don’t want to add it in,
but it does add a lovely bit of flavor and a nice little kick to your bars.
Just want to give that a little mix in and then pour it straight over our oats and our
rice.
Look at that, gorgeous.
Once your caramel is in there, you want to give it a good mix until it all comes together.
And there you go, this is the base for our chewy granola bars.
It actually takes no time to make at all.
Oh it’s so yummy, the texture is really nice, I can taste the little bit of salt and
vanilla.
Now I’m going to show you how you can turn this into a lot of different flavors.
We are going to start out by making a nut and raisin bar.
Into my granola bar base, I’m going to add in some toasted chopped nuts.
Now here I am using almonds because I love almonds but you can use any kind of nut that
you like.
Make sure that they’re toasted because they give such a better flavor.
Next is our dried fruit, I’m using raisins.
Dried fruit is high in nutrients because there’s no water.
They’re even more dense so they’re really good.
And then lastly I’m going to add in some unsweetened coconut.
I adore coconut.
And then give that a big mix around, make sure that everything gets combined well.
These granola bars are fantastic when you need a boost of energy after school, for lunch,
whatever it is.
Oats are great because they’re full of energy and they’re slow-releasing so they’ll
keep you going throughout the day.
That’s it, all mixed up.
And as you can see, no baking, no machines, all done by hand in minutes.
So now I’m going to put this mix into a tray.
Line a small tray with parchment and then just pour in your granola.
This might seem a little bit dry but what you’re going to do is press it into the
tray.
You can feel then how sticky it is, also it firms up when it goes cold and that’s how
you get those nice bars.
You might want to use a spatula or a pallet knife and just press it in nice and firm to
get an even layer.
I like nice, thick bars but you can spread this out further if you’d like.
And in true bigger bolder baking fashion, I’m going to sprinkle some more ingredients
on top.
A few toasted almonds and some raisins.
And then give those guys a little bit of a press down.
Our granola bars are looking great and they’re smelling great but now it’s time to pop
them into the fridge and let them set.
It takes around 2 hours.
Now you’ve got to have a peanut butter and jelly granola bar considering this is back
to school.
It’s really really easy to make, the only difference is, into your wet mix of butter,
brown sugar, and honey, we are going to add in some peanut butter.
You can use smooth or chunky, whatever you like.
You also don’t have to use peanut butter, you can use any nut butter.
And then just give him a mix in until he kind of just melts into the ingredients.
And then like before, pour your wet into your dry.
Into this bar, I’m also going to add in some toasted peanuts.
Give it some nice extra texture, a little bit of bite.
And then just mix it all together.
You guys have been requesting granola bars I’d say since I started the channel.
So it’s definitely about time that I made them.
So what you should do if you’re a smart bold baker, is make these over the weekend
when you have time and then you can eat them for your snacks, for your lunch, all the way
throughout the week.
So we’ve got our peanut butter in here but let me show you where the jelly comes into
it all.
So go ahead and scoop half of your peanut butter mix into your prepared tray.
Press it down with your spatula until you get a nice, thin layer.
So then for my favorite part, the jelly.
Choose any kind of jelly you want, it’s up to you.
I usually have raspberry or strawberry.
And then we’re going to do a very thin layer on top of these oats.
Just spread out your jam until it’s a nice, even layer.
Once your jam is on there, then go ahead and put on the rest of the oat mix.
Be careful not to squish down too much so your jam doesn’t come out.
If your jam is a little bit runny, you can always pop your tray into the fridge as well
and let it set before you put on your other layer.
To add a little bit of something to these bars, I’m going to sprinkle some more chopped
toasted peanuts on top.
Just as I’m finishing up these bars, if you haven’t subscribed to my channel, make
sure you do so.
We’ve got new mug meals coming soon and we also have fantastic holiday recipes coming
up so you don’t want to miss out on any of them.
Ok that’s it we’re done.
I can see some jam coming out of the side there.
This guy is ready for the fridge.
So another delicious granola bar is double chocolate.
Sounds like heaven.
It’s really easy, all you want to do is into your wet ingredients very similar to
peanut butter, we’re going to add in some good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder.
And then just give it a good mix in.
And then straight into your dry ingredients.
And then for extra chocolate, because no one will say no to that, I like to add in some
chocolate morsels.
Make sure that they are good quality.
And then just like the others, just mix them together until everything is combined.
Sometimes these mixes seem a little bit dry but just keep mixing until all your oats are
hydrated, everything is covered in a delicious layer of yumminess.
And remember all of my recipes along with other snack ideas can be found on biggerbolderbaking.com.
Ok this is well-mixed, it’s nice and stiff.
Now we’re just going to press it into our tray.
And then just press it down evenly all the way to the edges.
And then because you can never have enough, I’m going to sprinkle more chocolate chips
on top.
It’s funny, this granola bar reminds me of when you go to a birthday party in Ireland
and you get rice crispy buns, and all they are is rice crispies and chocolate, that’s
what this tastes like.
So this guy now is ready for the fridge.
My granola bars have been in the fridge for a few hours, they’re nice and firm.
So now I’m going to cut them so you can have a look.
Cut them into whatever sizes you like.
Remember that they are filling so they don’t have to be huge.
The granola bars stay fresh in an airtight container for up to five days.
You can put them in the fridge or leave them out at room temperature.
Since I just made the chocolate one, I’m going to give that one a taste.
It is rich and decadent and chocolatey.
This is gorgeous and the best thing about it is there’s all these lovely oats in there,
the rice, great ingredients.
They are a great way to start your day, end your day, or any time in between.
Share your granola bar photos with me on social media using the hashtag #boldbakers.
And I’ll see you back here next week for more Bigger Bolder Baking.