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Soft, Chewy Granola Bars

These granola bars are thick and chewy and so much better than store-bought. They can be frozen, too.

Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 16 bars; serving size 1 bar

Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 16 Bars
Calories: 327 kcal
Author: Dédé Wilson

Ingredients:

  • 1 2/3 cups (164 g) old-fashioned oats (use gluten-free if on a gluten-free diet)
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup (83 g) raisins
  • 1/2 cup (54 g) toasted pecan or walnut halves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup (32 g) almond flour, made from blanched or natural almonds
  • 1/4 cup (17 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) creamy, smooth peanut butter (see Tips)
  • 1/3 cup (66 g) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preparation:

  1. Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with aluminum foil or parchment and coat foil or paper with nonstick spray.
  2. Place oats, cranberries, raisins, nuts, almond flour, coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle and blend until combined on low speed. Alternately you can toss together by hand in a large bowl.
  3. Whisk together the peanut butter, sugar, oil, maple syrup, rice malt syrup, water and vanilla in a small bowl until combined and smooth. Add to dry mix and blend until everything is evenly mixed. A mixer makes this easy; if making by hand it will take a little elbow grease, but it can be done! Use a combination of a wooden spoon and silicone spatula if making by hand.
  4. Scrape mixture into prepared pan leveling and smoothing the top with a small offset spatula.
  5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean. Cool pan on rack. Lift foil or parchment out of pan, peel away, and cut into a 4 x 4 grid to yield 16 bars. The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, do what we do and wrap bars individually with plastic wrap, place all of those in a zip top bag and store in freezer for up to a month. This makes it very easy to grab on one-the-go and they defrost very quickly.

Notes:

Tips

  • Serving size is everything with these bars. There are FODMAP limits for nuts, seeds and dried fruit so we suggest that you start with 1 bar per serving and see how you feel.
  • We like these best if made with no-stir style peanut butter made with palm oil. You can use all-natural peanut butter (ingredients will be peanuts and salts) but the bar’s texture will become drier. Try both and see which you like.
Nutrition Facts
Soft, Chewy Granola Bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 327 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 80mg3%
Potassium 205mg6%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin C 0.5mg1%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.