No-Bake Granola Bars

 

Granola Bars are a pantry staple, well how about making your own. Here are several recipes to make a nice variety to choose from.

1 cup crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)

3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned regular rolled oats

1 cup creamy almond butter (8 oz.)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Toss together cereal and oats in a large bowl.

Place almond butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan; heat over medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour mixture over cereal and oats; gently mix together with one hand until combined.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan, pressing firmly to form a compact, even layer. Chill until fully set, about 30 minutes. Cut into 12 bars.

Variations:

Tart Cherry-Pistachio
Stir 1/2 cup chopped roasted salted pistachios and 1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries into cereal mixture in Step 1.


Apricot-Coconut-Cashew
Stir 1/3 cup chopped roasted salted cashews, 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots, and 1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut into cereal mixture in Step 1.


Chocolate Chip-Pecan-Sea Salt
Stir 1/3 cup chopped roasted pecans and 1/3 cup miniature milk chocolate chips into cereal mixture in Step 1. Sprinkle top of granola mixture with 1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt in Step 3 before chilling.

A Sothern Living Recipe

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Granola

Honey, vanilla, oats & almonds even add some dried fruit if you would like.

My friend Wendy Busk made this granola for me. We enjoyed it so much I had to share it with you. Hope you enjoy. Thank you Wendy!   

 ¾ cup veg oil (soy)

   1 cup honey (local)

   2 teaspoon vanilla

   Warm  up the oil and honey a little and then whisk in the vanilla.

   

Pour over the following and stir.

   5 cups whole, uncooked oats

   1 cup whole natural almonds

   1 cup chopped or whole walnuts  (I pile the nuts on top of the oats –so they get well-coated with the honey/oil mixture—they get crunchier that way)

Line two cookie sheets, or cake pans with parchment paper (edges coming up sides a bit), pour granola in and flatten out

 1 tablespoon or so packed brown sugar, (sprinkle over flattened granola)

Bake at 310° for 30 minutes, stir; put back in the oven for another 15 minutes and keep watching and stirring until dark golden brown. 

Let cool and add in

• · ½ cup cran-raisins
• · ½ cup golden raisins
• · ¾ cup chopped dates

 You can put your own spin on this sort of recipe in a million different ways!

Picture by Allrecipes

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

 

Simple ingredients, simple recipe to satisfy the sweet tooth. It's packed with peanut butter so that makes it healthy right?

2 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 c. Creamy Peanut Butter

2 sticks Butter, Softened, Plus More For Greasing The Pan

1 c. Chunky Peanut Butter

2 c. Powdered Sugar

1 box (12-ounces) Vanilla Wafers

1 bag (12 Ounces) Semi-sweet MINI Chocolate Chips

1/2 c. Chopped Peanuts

For the topping: Using a double boiler or a microwave, melt the chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes while you make the bars.

For the bars: Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with some butter. Using a stand or electric hand mixer, mix together the butter and chunky peanut butter until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar a cup at a time.

Add the vanilla wafers to a food processor and process until they are in crumbs. Then add the crumbs and mini chocolate chips to the peanut butter mixture and mix until just combined. Spread it evenly into the buttered pan and set aside.

Pour the topping over the base. Spread it out evenly and sprinkle over the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then cut into 20 bars.

Keep refrigerated, as the bars and chocolate will soften at room temperature.

Recipe Credit The Pioneer Woman HERE

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Peanut Butter Granola Bars

 

This is a great recipe when you’re looking for a make-ahead, grab-and-go option. Bake a batch and you will be ready for busy mornings.

Vegetable cooking spray

1 egg white

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup (1-stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, *see Cook's Note

1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg white until frothy. Stir in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and honey. Add the melted butter, oats and almonds. Stir to combine, then add the chocolate chips.

Using a rubber spatula, spread mixture into the prepared baking pan, pressing lightly to form an even layer. 

Bake until the edge of the mixture begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and serve.

*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipe Credit Giada De Laurentiis

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Spicy Sriracha Popcorn

Spice up your popcorn so easy.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons sriracha

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Coat the bottom of a large pot with the vegetable oil. Pour in the popcorn kernels, cover and set over medium-high heat. When you hear the first kernels pop, begin to shake. Continue to cook, shaking, until all the corn is popped. When you no longer hear popping, remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.

In a pan, melt the butter, add the sriracha and stir. Drizzle over the popcorn and toss. Season with salt.

Ree Drummond

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Smoked Gouda-Chorizo Jalapeno Poppers

Hollowed pepper halves with cheese, chorizo, cream cheese and more, then baking them until bubbly.

2 links Mexican chorizo, casings removed

1/2 pound smoked gouda, shredded

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1 egg

1/2 cup cream cheese

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and halved

Special Equipment: parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brown chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place into a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese, red onion, egg, cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste. Press into jalapeno halves and assemble on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Recipe from Sunny Anderson

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