I adapted this from the Quaker Oats recipe.
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 egg whites lightly beaten
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 8-oz container vanilla yogurt low-fat yogurt
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. skim milk
- 3 cups quaker oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
- Carbohydrate 495.80437 g
- Cholesterol 5.675 mg
- Fat 40.45999 g
- Fiber 29.0552994294167 g
- Protein 61.26544 g
- Saturated Fat 4.884495 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Dozen (926g)
- Sodium 1396.513 mg
- Sugar 466.749070570583 g
- Trans Fat 4.40756 g
- Calories 2470 calories
Step-by-step
- I. Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine sugars, yogurt, egg whites, oil, milk, and vanilla; mix well. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Add to yogurt mixture; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.
- 2. Spread dough onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper
- 3. Bake 28 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered.
Substituting whole wheat flour for refined white flour introduces extra bran and germ particles that absorb significantly more liquid and weigh down the crumb. Compensating for this density requires careful management of moisture through liquid dairy and binders.
- Line the 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and allow safe extraction of the baked slab.
- Preheat the oven precisely to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure the baking soda reacts properly with the acidic components of the yogurt.
- Bake the mixture for 28 minutes, watching for a light golden brown edge that signals proper starch gelatinization.
- Cool the baked slab completely on a wire rack before slicing to allow the starches to set and prevent crumbling.
- Store the finished bars tightly covered to maintain moisture equilibrium and prevent staleness.
Granola bars evolved from nineteenth-century health foods into portable everyday snacks. Controlling moisture variables ensures these whole wheat bars maintain structural integrity without excessive fats.
