Since hitting his teen years and trying to gain the attention of certain females, I’ve witnessed my 14-year-old son morphing from a young kid habitually sneaking chocolate chips from my bakery to one who texts me at the grocery store to remind me to pick up a rotisserie chicken and raw veggies for his school lunch. Lean muscle mass looks especially good on bulging biceps, apparently. So when he requested a healthy snack to take on our hikes, I was all over it.
Granola bars are so cliché in the world of hiking snacks, but there’s a reason they’re so popular–they’re portable, they have a long shelf life, and they offer a nice caloric punch to propel you up the next hill. The problem? Store bought granola bars are nothing short of eating a candy bar. So I set off to find a recipe that catered to Aidan’s quest to become the most buff guy in 8th grade for better health but to also fool my younger two kids into thinking they weren’t missing out on something special.
The solution came from a hybrid of recipes from Smitten Kitchen and Barefoot Contessa, two of my favorite culinary websites. Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) took Ina Garten’s recipe (Barefoot Contessa) and pared back the sugar content. She also eliminated the butter, but I met in the middle and halved what Ina recommended, knowing it would add a bit of fatty decadence (we can’t have them too healthy if they’re meant to be a treat). I especially appreciated that the modified recipe was made with all-natural ingredients. I am happy to report that they were gobbled up in short order and adaptable enough to create different flavor combinations in the future.
Healthy Granola Bars
Healthy Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened flakes but sweetened works too)
- 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups dried fruit, nuts and/or chocolate chips (I used unsweetened dried cranberries because Craisins are like eating candy they're so loaded with extra sugar, raisins, and pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×12-inch or 9x13-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
- Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, vanilla and salt until the mixture is well coated, then add the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press it into the pan very, very firmly. Wetting your fingers or using a silicon spaula helps prevent the mixture sticking to you.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares (preferably with a serrated knife). It's important to let the mixture cool sufficiently before cutting the bars or they'll crumble!
- The bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. They also freeze beautifully.
Do you have a favorite healthy homemade hiking snack? Share in the comments if you do!
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