Try this Chewy Granola Bars recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 42.7957455178978 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.12000706276134 g
- Fiber 2.78472001581918 g
- Protein 1.90147893769492 g
- Saturated Fat 4.89803743755451 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (67g)
- Sodium 28.5654812532444 mg
- Sugar 40.0110255020787 g
- Trans Fat 0.442145731257796 g
- Calories 214 calories
Step-by-step
- Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the honey in a saucepan on medium low heat.
- While the honey melts, spoon the peanut butter into a bowl. Add the salt and cinnamon.
- Pour 1 cup of the nuts into the blender and blend until it looks like very coarse flour. A few whole nuts are okay (see the step-by-step photos below for a clearer idea of what this should look like).
- Dump the blended nuts into the bowl with the peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon. Don’t stir yet.
- Blend the other cup of nuts until they look about the same as the first bunch, then add these to the bowl.
- Measure out the dried fruit and dump on top of the nuts, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon. You still haven’t stirred anything.
- Add the 2 cups of coconut and drizzle on the melted honey.
- Stir until fully combined.
- Press very firmly into the prepared pan (It’s important to press hard because otherwise your granola bars won’t hold together).
- Cook for 25 minutes on 350 degrees F until golden brown. They will be very soft, but will firm up later.
- Leave the granola bars to cool for 1 hour on the counter, and then refrigerate for another hour before cutting them.
Ingredient lists reveal proportions, but they rarely explain how thermal energy transforms those components. Honey is primarily composed of monosaccharides dissolved in water. When heated over medium-low heat on a stovetop, that water content evaporates, concentrating the sugars into a viscous syrup that acts as the primary adhesive for the dry components. Without this specific heating step, the natural sugars remain too fluid to bind nuts and dried fruit into a cohesive slab.
Texture and Milling Mechanics
Processing half the nuts into a coarse flour while leaving others intact creates a dual-texture matrix. Fine nut particles absorb excess moisture from the honey and peanut butter, whereas larger pieces maintain structural integrity and chew. Pulse the pecans and almonds carefully in a blender to avoid generating nut butter. Once the hot honey is poured over the mixture, stir vigorously until all shredded coconut and raisins are evenly coated. Pressing the warm mass firmly into a parchment-lined 9 by 13-inch pan is non-negotiable; insufficient downward pressure leaves air pockets, causing the bars to crumble upon slicing.
- Bake the mixture at 350 degrees F for precisely 25 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
- Allow the pan to rest on the counter for one full hour before transferring it to the refrigerator for an additional hour to set the fats and sugars.
- Use a heavy chef knife to cut the chilled slab into 10 uniform rectangles, wiping the blade between cuts to prevent sticking.
- Pair these portable snacks with strong black coffee or unsweetened iced tea to balance the high sugar content provided by the honey and dried fruit.
