Replicating Nature Valley Granola Bars

[Chris Jones]

I love Nature Valley Granola Bars. I could happily subsist on these things alone (http://naturevalley.com/Products.aspx#aCrunchyBar).

The thing is, I am not in the US so I have to purchase these as imports at almost 8 dollars a box (yikes!)

Does anyone have a good, tried-and-true recipe for granola bars so I can make these things at home? Even better if I can do so using healthier sweeteners as opposed to sugar, which is what the NV Granola bars use (2nd item in the ingredients list).

Thanks…

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?s_type=%2Frecipes.php&q=granola+bars&Search=Search&Searcht=

Look through these – you will find a couple winners with no issues :-)

[Chris Jones]

Sarah,

Thanks for the link. Wow, that's quite a comprehensive list.

You have any favorites in there? This one looks promising: http://www.recipezaar.com/Decadent-ChocolatePbGranolaCoconut-Bars-82846

[Jim Colten]

Sarah,

Would many of those recipes be usable for medium length hikes (like up to 4 weeks) if we do the following?
1) prepare
2) vacuum seal individual servings
3) freeze
4) within a day or two of leaving home: thaw, wait for external condensation to evaporate, pack for shipping and mail to resupply spots.

What should we look for in a recipe that would make it unsuitable for the above treatment?

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

That would work well..you could also wrap the bars in parchment paper before sealing as well. Now though…things to avoid: really soft dried fruit, heavy use of applesauce or pureed prunes (they don't keep well).
Oil helps preserve so that is a good thing! You can also overbake them a bit for a more dehydrated effect.

One thing about the original granola bars of the 70's were they were very crispy! If memory holds right some even had coconut oil…which is an excellent choice for preservation. It produces a snappy, not soft baked good.

Raisins work well for bars also. Mini chocolate chips as well.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Chris, that recipe looks fabulous!! I'd make those ;-)

[Chris Jones]

"One thing about the original granola bars of the 70's were they were very crispy!"

Those were the granola bars I grew up with! I always had a strong disdain for "chewy" treats. I especially hated rice crispy treats.

I noticed a lot of the recipes on that web site are for chewy granola bars. How do I make them crispy like the Nature Valley bars? Extra baking time? A second baking? Dehydrating? Alter the ingredients?

Thanks…

[Tyler T]

Honey is reportedly a good antibiotic, so it might be a good choice as the only sweetener. Dunno if baking will destroy the antibiotic properties though.

[Jim Cook]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-bars-recipe/index.html

Absolutely the best of all I've tried. I use some combination of dried sour cherries, cranberries or blueberries. I also substitute some of the oats with rolled wheat or rye.

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