Granola...3 Ways

Breakfast is served!!  I really like the versatility of this recipe.  I can make granola bars, granola for cereal and even just granola to have as a snack - all at the same time!  It takes about 10 min of actual work, and can be changed every time you make it.  So go crazy - I'm sure it will taste good :)

The original recipe is here.  Her's look better than mine, but I think mine are still tasty!  To help cut down on the amount of fat in my bars I added a small amount and mixed it in, this causes the chocolate to melt but helps the oats stick together.  I also eliminated the oil.

3 cups old fashioned oat
2 Tbsps water
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/3-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and roast for 15 min - they should be slightly brown and smell mmm good.  Once they are done, combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate and blueberries (or any other add-ins you would like).  Bring the syrup to a slight boil (it will almost foam as it comes to a boil) - make sure that all of the brown sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and pour over the oats in a bowl.  mix to coat all of the oats, then add any add-ins and mix again.  Place parchment paper in a casserole dish and press the granola mixture firmly with a second piece.  You want to try to get it as even as possible so your bars are uniform(ish).  Let the granola bars sit for at least an hour.  I use the parchment paper to remove them from the pan and then use a knife to cit them to size.  At this point some will crumble - now you have granola cereal :)  If you want you can crumble more or all of it.  It just depends on what you want!

These are just that easy!  You can make any combo, but this seems to be our favorite.  You can also make larger batches very easily.  I make the bars for Eric to take for a mid-morning snack.  I wrap them in parchment paper and put them in a sealed container in the fridge.  They stay fresh until they are gone, usually a week and a half or so. 

I am slowly starting to make all of our food from scratch, but I don't think everything will be replaced (How do you make Funyuns?!).  This is a great recipe to add to any collection.

Have a great day!
Beth