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Base Granola Bar Recipe
The base recipe for easy homemade granola bar recipes that come together in a snap. Variations include peanut butter chocolate, M&M, Sweet and Salty, and more see next recipe for more ideas!

Ingredients include:
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (we recommend Country Life Natural Foods Organic)
1/2 cup nuts
roughly chopped
1/4 cup honey (Local is best!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cups total extra mix-ins
(about 1/4 cup of 3 different ingredients such as dried fruits, coconut, chocolate chips, etc. be as creative as you like!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment or foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
2. Place the oats and nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted.
3. While the oats are toasting, add the honey, butter, and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Cook
over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Let the mixture bubble, while stirring, for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.
4. Place the nuts and oats in a large bowl.
5. Stir in the vanilla and salt to the butter mixture. Pour this mixture over the oat and nut mixture and stir to combine. Add any extra ingredients (except for chocolate) and stir to combine. Make sure none of the oats are dry.
6. If you are adding chocolate, wait about 15 minutes for the mixture to cool a bit before adding the chocolate and then stirring to combine.
7. Place all of the oat mixture in the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula or the bottom of a greased measuring cup to press the mixture into the pan. Press it in very firmly, this is what makes the
bars stick together.
8. Chill the granola bars for at least 2 hours. Lift the bars from the pan using the edges of the parchment and place them on a cutting board. Cut into desired shape/sizes and serve.
9. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. If you are stacking the granola bars place a piece of parchment between the layers to help prevent sticking.
NOTES:
If you don't want to use nuts, skip them or replace them with something like shredded coconut.
You can skip the step where you toast the oats and the nuts, but it really takes them to the
next level of deliciousness. I highly recommend it. If you're in a hurry, though, you can skip it!
Don't cook it higher than medium heat; the honey will scorch if you cook it at a higher
temperature.