This popular breakfast or mid-meal snack is loved by kids and adults alike! Probably the most convenient and equally delicious go-to snack comes in a huge variety of flavours and is super healthy too! Granola bars mainly are made by combining ingredients like rolled oats, honey, dried nuts, puffed rice, and sweeteners and baking them until they are crispy and golden brown. Other ingredients are also added to granola bars like coconut, chocolate chips, extracts of cinnamon & vanilla, nut butter, etc. Sugar free granola bars are also widely available that are made with natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, dates, etc. They are great to be consumed as a snack on their own or as a topping on yoghurt, fresh fruit, desserts like ice cream, frozen yoghurt, etc. Granola bars were a simple breakfast recipe that was created in New York by Dr. Caleb Jackson in 1863 as a healthy alternative to the usual meat-based breakfasts. This was made of graham flour and involved a lengthy process of repeatedly baking it. This was further developed by Dr. John Kellog and quickly became popular around the world, especially around the 1960s hippie movement.
What are the benefits of including granola bars in your diet?
Besides being convenient to eat and carry and budget-friendly, including healthy granola bars in your meal plan have amazing amazing health benefits. These include:
•Comprising of ingredients like oats, nuts, and dried fruits, granola bars are full of much-needed nutrients and micronutrients. These include proteins, vitamins B & E, iron, zinc, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, fibre, etc.
•This high nutrition content of granola bars helps in eliminating health issues like anaemia, fatigue, chronic headaches, etc. They also prevent hair and skin-related disorders and keep them healthy.
•Granola bar nutrition is great for improving your cognitive functioning. They help in improving your brain activity levels and memory and prevent conditions like Parkinsons, Alzheimers, dementia, etc.
•Healthy granola bars are filling and are the perfect mid-meal snacks. This does away with the need to binge eat unhealthy foods and helps in losing weight.
•Homemade granola bars made with the right amount of sugars help to boost your energy and removing sluggishness.
•The high levels of fibre in oat granola bars helps in keeping your digestive system healthy eliminating issues like gas, bloating, and constipation. This is also very effective in preventing certain types of cancers.
•When made with seeds like that of pumpkin and sunflower, the antioxidants in granola bars help reduce free radicals in the body. This in turn helps in reducing the levels of oxidative stress that prevents cancers and heart diseases.
•Granola bars help in boosting your immunity that is essential for warding off frequent infections and diseases.
•Healthy granola bars are a great fortified snack for pregnant women that helps in the healthy development of the fetus.
What are some tips for making the best granola bars every time?
Before we share some healthy homemade granola bars recipes, here are some tips to keep in mind to make the best tasting bars:
- To make healthy recipes of granola, use the freshest ingredients especially the ones that are available in your pantry. This would minimise the use of unhealthy preservatives.
- Measure the ratios of ingredients properly and try to use drier ingredients instead of wet ones to get a crunchy consistency.
- The primary ingredient should be good-quality rolled oats. Avoid using quick-cooking oars as they dont hold the bars that well.
- For super crispy homemade oats granola bars, always toast ingredients like the oats, seeds, nuts, etc. This helps in lending a crispy texture and brings out their flavours well.
- The binding ingredient is the most important thing that holds up granola bars. The best binding agents are honey and brown rice syrup.
- Dont hesitate to experiment. While we are used to crispy baked granola bars, you can also experiment with the chewier no bake granola bars that are equally delicious.
Which are some of the best granola bar recipes to try at home?
Anyone would love to ditch the extra sugars and preservatives in the store-bought bars. We often wonder if we could make granola bars at home?And the answer is YES! It is extremely fun and easy to make granola bars at home. Here are some of the best healthy granola bars recipes for you to try at home:
1. Coconut cranberry granola bar
This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes of granola bars:
•In a pan combine sugar, water, lemon zest, and cranberries. Cook for around 15 minutes till the berries pop and leave it to cool.
•In another pan, beat brown sugar and butter and add to it flour, rolled oats, salt, and baking soda and mix till you get a creamy mixture.
• Set aside a cup of this and bake the remaining mixture until its light brown. Spread the cranberry mixture, shredded coconuts, and pecan nuts along with the saved mixture over it and bake for 15-20 minutes more.
•Cool and cut into bars.
2. Peanutbutter oatmeal granola bar
This delicious and chewy no-bake granola bar recipe is packed with taste and nutrition:
- In a pan, simmer peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey for around a minute.
- Add to it vanilla extract and sea salt and mix well.
- Now add oats and slivered almonds and mix well.
- Keep this in the fridge to cool for around 15 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Press this onto a tray and chill for around an hour.
- Cut the peanut butter granola bars into pieces and serve garnished with toasted coconut shreds.
3. Date granola bars
This is one of the best homemade granola bars recipes that even kids can make. This is one of the most delicious granola bars recipe India that is liked for its chewy texture and health properties:
- Blend black dates till you get a smooth consistency.
- In a pan, roast rolled oats for around 5 minutes.
- Combine the date mixture, oats, roasted almonds, and mixed dried berries and keep it aside.
- In a pan, combine peanut butter and honey and cook for around 2 minutes.
- Add this to the dates mixture and mix well.
- Line a tray with butter paper and cut it into bars.
- Refrigerate for around 20 minutes.
- Serve garnished with toasted coconuts.
4. Crispy nut granola bars
One of the easiest homemade granola bars recipe, this is low on sugar and high on taste:
- Toast rolled oats, almonds, walnuts, and shredded coconuts.
- In a pan combine brown sugar, honey, butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium heat.
- Combine both the mixture and mix well.
- Put this on a baking dish and press well.
- Bake for around 20-25 minutes till it turns golden brown.
- Cut into bars and store for later use.
5. Chocolate granola bars
This is one of the most popular homemade granola bars recipe thats loved for its great texture and of course the rich and moist chocolate brownie-like taste:
- In a bowl, combine rolled oats, chopped almonds, dark cocoa powder, almond flour, and unsweetened shredded coconut.
- In another bowl, mix coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, honey, and salt.
- Stir both the mixtures and combine them well.
- Add semisweet chocolate chips to this.
- Press this in a baking tray.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy.
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