Sometimes there are good reason to avoid grains. It may be a medical condition or simply personal nutrition beliefs. However, kids do have a higher need for carbs and occasionally I do add grains into recipes I make for them.
This recipe for a hearty, soft granola bar is one of those recipes. It uses a base of rolled oats combined with dried fruits and nuts and the natural sweetness of bananas and a little honey as the binders. We all enjoy this chia seed energy bar recipe, but sometimes something a little different is nice.
Soft and Chewy Fruit and Nut Granola Bars
If you’re afraid of bananas too (a sign of good taste, in my opinion), rest easy… you really cannot taste the banana in this recipe! The banana acts as a binder and natural sweetener but doesn’t overpower.
Apricots and figs work well together (and add a nice golden color), but you can use this recipe as a base and substitute any fruit and nuts you like.
This recipe makes 12 generous granola bars. You can also double or triple the recipe and freeze the extras, or cut the bars into small bite-size squares.
Fruit and Nut Granola Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium size bananas
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds
- ⅓ cup dried apricots
- ⅓ cup dried figs
- ⅓ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
- Add the honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Stir in the oats.
- Use a food processor or knife to chop the almonds.
- Add the almonds and dried fruit to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spread evenly, and press to pack.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Cool and cut into bars.
Notes
Nutrition
A Note on Grains
I recommend avoiding grains (and sugar) if you have symptoms of an impaired digestive system. (Here’s why.) You can also soak and dehydrate your oats or buy them sprouted in improve digestibility and up the protein.
What’s your favorite granola bar recipe? Please share!
Other Granola Bar Recipes
- Chia Seed Energy Bars
- Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars
- Grain-Free Coconut Granola
Alexandria Dyson
January 9, 2014 at 11:13 AMOkay ive made granola bars twice in the last few days and they are so crumbly. What can I do to make them not ?!
Alexandria Dyson
January 9, 2014 at 11:13 AMOkay ive made granola bars twice in the last few days and they are so crumbly. What can I do to make them not ?!
Amanda Wesley
January 9, 2014 at 11:14 AMThese look yummy and full of good stuff
Amanda Wesley
January 9, 2014 at 11:14 AMThese look yummy and full of good stuff
Rachel Stinman
January 9, 2014 at 11:19 AMMaybe a tad bit more honey? Make them stick?
Rachel Stinman
January 9, 2014 at 11:19 AMMaybe a tad bit more honey? Make them stick?
Brittany Logan Bischoff
January 9, 2014 at 11:28 AMYou could add the “pin it” link pretty please! 😀
Brittany Logan Bischoff
January 9, 2014 at 11:28 AMYou could add the “pin it” link pretty please! 😀
Mommypotamus
January 9, 2014 at 11:35 AMBrittany Logan Bischoff – Oops! Here it is http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125397170848809248/
Mommypotamus
January 9, 2014 at 11:37 AMAlexandria Dyson – I would try what Rachel Stinman recommended. Or try this recipe, which also uses banana to hold things together.
Melissa Barnes
January 9, 2014 at 11:55 AMYum!! It’s says to mix the maple syrup but I didn’t read you needed that in the ingredients section am I missing something lol
Jenna Graziano
January 9, 2014 at 11:58 AMVanessa Cano-gomez these are sooo good
Vanessa Cano-gomez
January 9, 2014 at 11:59 AMSounds Yummy!
My kids probably my wouldn’t eat the apricots but I could sub another dried fruit.
Vanessa Cano-gomez
January 9, 2014 at 11:59 AMSounds Yummy!
My kids probably my wouldn’t eat the apricots but I could sub another dried fruit.
Missy Johnson
January 9, 2014 at 12:05 PMAmy Irwin Jarosek
Jessica Zunino
January 9, 2014 at 12:14 PMCurious: Do you buy all your ingredients online?
Brittini Lee
January 9, 2014 at 12:19 PMYum! Suzi Ward 🙂
Ruthann McFarlane
January 9, 2014 at 12:25 PMIs there anything that can be substituted for the banana?? We have a severe allergy in the house, so much so that we don’t even bring them into the house.
Mommypotamus
January 9, 2014 at 12:56 PMRuthann McFarlane – Avocado with a bit of maple syrup or honey might work, but I can’t imagine it would be as pretty 🙂
Sandra Williams
January 9, 2014 at 1:22 PMThey are so good!!! Didn’t have raisins at home so I added some cranberries.
Mommypotamus
January 9, 2014 at 1:50 PMJessica Zunino – I buy some but not all. However, I provide brand recommendations for those who cannot find certain things locally.
CC Elms, The Christian Hippie
January 9, 2014 at 6:01 PMWhoa! Sharing THIS! Better yet, I may need to try this too!
Caitlin Serotkin
January 9, 2014 at 7:21 PMI wonder if I cold use fresh apricots? I happen to have some. Those look delicious!
Humaira Shaikh
January 9, 2014 at 11:56 PMSadaf Shaikh
Jennifer Kittle
January 10, 2014 at 12:04 AMLooks Good !!
Heather Basma DeBra
January 10, 2014 at 3:13 AMJessica Leuty
zeffie
January 10, 2014 at 3:16 PMThank you for this recipe. I’m going to rural Alaska for one week next month and these will be a yummy addition to my real food packing list. Hopefully I don’t crush these too bad en route. I’ll send a pic of me eating them in the snow 🙂
Jan
January 11, 2014 at 12:27 PMShould we assume that the honey (listed in the ingredients) and the maple syrup (listed in the directions) are interchangeable? Or are they both supposed to be added to the recipe?
Heather
January 11, 2014 at 1:33 PMOops! Let me double check with Suzanne on that one! I’ll update the post soon 🙂
Heather
January 11, 2014 at 1:53 PMHi Jan, just heard back from Suzanne. The directions should have said honey instead of maple syrup. Thanks for catching that!
[email protected] Riffs
January 11, 2014 at 1:57 PMSuzanne always does such nice recipes, and this one looks terrific! Thanks so much for this.
Bethani
January 15, 2014 at 10:22 AMCould I just soak some regular rolled oats and use those? Also, are the dried fruit and nuts pretty interchangeable? I have dried cherries, pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips….Thanks!!
Heather
January 15, 2014 at 11:01 AMHi Bethani, yes you could and yes they are 🙂
Bethani
January 15, 2014 at 4:14 PMAwesome!! Got my oatmeal soaking now! Thank you!!
Nicole
January 21, 2014 at 2:33 PMHi,
I love your facebook page..
I have a question about the apriciot granola bars..do you have to add the walnuts..?
Thank you
Ceitllyn (Katelynn)
March 5, 2014 at 12:17 PMI ran across these again! Looking in the comments, I did not see any reference to the oven temp stated in the recipe 180C. If that is correct, what does that translate to in F? Thanks
Heather
March 5, 2014 at 12:59 PMHi Ceitlyn, I’ve updated the post with the Fahrenheit temp 🙂