More Granola Breakfast Bars

General hints for Bar Cookies and Protein/Breakfast Bars
  • Soak any dried fruit, raisins, dried cranberries, etc. for just 10 minutes in hot water, juice or liquor before mixing into the dough to avoid rock-like bits. Drain well or the excess moisture will affect your final product.
  • To increase protein,add vital wheat gluten, roasted soy flour, nutritional yeast flakes, instant or non-instant dry milk powder, or proprietary protein powders. Each affects texture differently, so start with small amounts (1/4 cup).
  • To reduce fat, substitute unsweetened applesauce or prune sauce for 1/2 the shortening.
  • Use some type of nonstick prep on the pan, or line with waxed paper or parchment.
  • The unbaked dough is usually stiff and must be spread or patted into the pan.
  • Preheating the oven helps prevent burned bottoms on the bars. Position rack above the middle of the oven.
  • Use a slower temp for bars than drop cookies- 300- 325 degrees.
  • Bake bars just till the cookies appear dull and a slight imprint remails after touching the surface with a fingertip. Test cake-like bars for doneness with a wooden toothpick. Take out as soon as done; bars do get firmer as they cool.
  • After baking, the bars should have a thin, delicate crust and a moist crumb. Over-mixing produces a hard and crusty top; over-baking results in a dry and crumbly cookie.
  • To prevent the ragged edges that often occur whe cutting cooled cookie bars, use a sharp knife to score the tops of the bars as soon as the pan comes out of the oven. Then cool and cut the cooled bars along the scored lines.
  • Allow cookies or bars to cool slightly before removing them from the baking sheet or pan. As soon as they are firm enough to move without breaking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not leave cookies on the hot baking sheet, they will continue to cook.

Over the Clif Cranberry Snack Bars

wheat free
Preheat oven to 300 F.

2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup rolled oats
OR 3/4 cup rolled oats and 1/3 cup oat bran
3/4 cup oat flour (rolled oats ground to flour can be used)
1/4 cup rice bran
OPTIONAL 1/4 cup tasty nutritional yeast flakes, such as KAL VSF
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup natural sugar
OR 2 tablespoons fructose
1/4 cup dried cranberries, soaked 10 minutes in hot water, drained
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate (not diluted)
1/2 cup rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix cranberries, juice concentrate, rice syrup, and vanilla.
Blend the dry ingredients with the other ingredients. Mix gently and just until mixed.
Spread mixture thinly onto greased nonstick cookie sheet, and press down well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove when just done- they tend to burn.
Immediately score tops. Bars will firm up as they cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bars.

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Variation, Cranberry Crunch Snack Bars

wheat free Preheat oven to 300 F.

2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup soy flour
OPTIONAL 1/4 cup tasty nutritional yeast flakes, such as KAL VSF
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup peanut flour
1/4 cup natural sugar
OR 2 tablespoons fructose
1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons chopped roasted soy nuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries, soaked 10 minutes in hot water, drained
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

If nuts are not roasted, stir-cook chopped nut mixture (not soy nuts) in dry pan over medium heat until lightly toasted. Take off heat.
Mix together the cereal, oats, flours, sugar, mixed nuts, soy nuts, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, mix oil, rice syrup, and vanilla. Blend the dry ingredients with the other ingredients.
Spread mixture thinly onto greased nonstick cookie sheet, and press down well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Watch carefully that they do not burn.
Remove from oven, score tops. Bars will firm up as they cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bars.

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Breakfast Fruit-Nut Bars

More tender and cakey than the previous recipe, higher protein due to eggs and peanut butter.
Servings: 8- 11x7 pan: double recipe (16 bars) fits an 11x15 jelly roll pan

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1 1/2 cups chopped mixed dried fruit
2/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup chopped sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts, cashews or sliced almonds
6 eggs
1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chunk-style peanut butter, OR almond, cashew or sunflower butter or sesame butter (reduced fat, reduced sodium nut butter is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium bowl, stir together flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in fruit, oatmeal and peanuts. Set aside. In large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir in reserved flour mixture.
Pour into greased 11 x 7 x 1 1/2-inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove when just done- they tend to burn.
Immediately score tops into 8 or 16 bars. Bars will firm up as they cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bars. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

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Over the Clif Lemon Snack Bars

wheat free
Preheat oven to 300 F.

2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup rolled oats
OR 3/4 cup rolled oats and 1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup oat flour (rolled oats ground to flour can be used)
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup soy flour
OPTIONAL 1/4 cup tasty nutritional yeast flakes, such as KAL VSF
1/4 cup natural sugar
OR 2 tablespoons fructose
1 teaspoon powdered soy lecithin (granules ground to powder)
1/3 cup ground soynuts (soynuts ground to powder in processor) or other ground nut flour such as almond or pecan
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice with zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix together the cereal, oats, flours, sugar, soynuts, and lecithin. In a separate large bowl, mix oil and rice syrup. In a cup, mix lemon juice and extract.
Alternately blend the dry ingredients and the juice mixture into the oil/syrup mixture.
Spread mixture thinly onto greased nonstick cookie sheet, and press down well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove when just done- they tend to burn.
Immediately score tops into 8 bars. Bars will firm up as they cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bars. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Snack Bars

wheat free
Preheat oven to 300 F.

2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup soy flour
OPTIONAL 1/4 cup tasty nutritional yeast flakes, such as KAL VSF
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup Dutch or natural cocoa, NOT chocolate drink mix
1/4 cup natural sugar
OR 2 tablespoons fructose
1 teaspoon powdered soy lecithin (granules ground to powder)
1/2 cup pecans, ground coarsely in food processor or blender
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together the cereal, oats, flours, cocoa, sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and lecithin. In a large bowl, mix oil, rice syrup, and vanilla. Blend the dry ingredients with the other ingredients.
Spread mixture thinly onto greased nonstick cookie sheet, and press down well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove when just done- they tend to burn.
Immediately score tops into 8 bars. Bars will firm up as they cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bars. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

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Vegan White Chocolate Frosting or candy bar

Apply to cooled snack bars or breakfast bars
1/2 cup food-grade cocoa butter
1/3 cup natural sugar
1/3 cup soymilk powder (NOT SOY FLOUR)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon powdered lecithin (granules ground to powder OK)
1 teaspoon flavoring powder or extract (powdered flavors work better)

Mix water, soymilk powder, and sugar in the top pan of a double boiler. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted.
Turn off heat.
Mix in cocoa butter, stirring until blended. Then mix in lecithin, stirring until blended. Mix in vanilla powder, stirring until thoroughly blended.
For frosting, spread immediately onto cooled bars. To make candy bars, pour warm mixture onto a greased plate. Let cool completely, break into pieces. Store in zippered plastic bags in the refrigerator.

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Fastest Vegan Chocolate Frosting

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Melt chips over hot water. Spread over (or under) cooled bars. Cool or chill until firm.

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