Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars Recipe 455

Steps:

• Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
• Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large rectangular 8.5x12.5-inch baking dish and line with a piece of parchment paper so the bars are easier to lift out. In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Place the rolled oats into a food processor (or blender on the lowest speed) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still with lots of texture). Stir oats into the banana mixture. Chop the walnuts and cherries and stir all of the ingredients into the banana-oat mixture until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Press down until compacted and smooth out with hands until even. Use a pastry roller to smooth out if desired. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes or until firm and lightly golden along the edge. Place dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then carefully slide a knife to loosen the ends and lift out. Place granola slab on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then into the freezer for another 10 minutes. Slice into bars once they are cool.