The grocery situation changes almost constantly now. A couple of weeks ago, the local supermarket had no toilet paper and no flour but plenty of eggs. Last week, I nabbed the second last bag of flour and picked up a dozen eggs from a dwindling supply. This week? While the flour shelf was well-stocked, there wasn’t an egg in the store. I suspect the Easter Bunny has been stockpiling them.
I’ve no idea what items will be flush or scarce for you. Some out-of-town friends tell me they can’t find butter. Others say oats have been problematic. Fortunately, I’ve found a wide range of granolas in the cereal aisle. Sugar in all forms is widely available — often on sale — so Nutty Granola Bars just might be the answer to your pantry problems. After all, they don’t need eggs or butter or flour. They don’t even need an oven.
So, before I get to the recipe, let me anticipate a few questions or issues:
I’m allergic to nuts
For those with nut allergies, you can make these with peanut butter, seed butter or soy butter.
I’M STILL ALLERGIC TO NUTS
Oh, the granola. Right. If you have a nut allergy and can’t find nut-free granola, you can make a batch of your own with my homemade granola recipe. It’s easy and includes several alternatives and substitutions.
I’m out of parchment
In this recipe, the parchment keeps the pan clean and provides an easy way to remove the bars. It’s convenient, not necessary. If you don’t have parchment, use foil. If you don’t have foil, just press the bars into lightly greased pan. The first bar might emerge a bit mangled, but you can eat the evidence.
CAN I FANCY IT UP WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS?
That would make 4 ingredients, but who’s counting? Be warned. If you try to stir chips into the mix, they’ll melt in the hot syrup. However, I’d never stand between you and chocolate. Here are a couple or workarounds to ensure you get your chocolate fix:
Once the bars are in the pan, sprinkle some chocolate chips on top and let them melt with the residual heat.
Drizzle the cooled bars with melted chocolate after you cut them.
Depending on your granola, this recipe can be nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and/or vegan. I’d love to hear how you make it your own.
In university I went through a homemade granola bar phase. They were portable and sweet, and kept me going between classes. The only problem was that they fell apart — I often ended up eating them with a spoon stolen from the cafeteria. These no-bake bars stick together. Not only are they perfect for when I’m on the go, they keep me honest.
Scale
Ingredients
2 1⁄2 cups (250 g) granola 1⁄2 cup (130 g) creamy almond butter 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) corn syrup
Instructions
Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.
Place the granola in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the almond butter and corn syrup, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Make sure the mixture is warm but not boiling.
Pour the almond butter mixture over the granola and stir to coat.
Press the granola mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from the pan, using the parchment liner, and cut into bars.
Notes
You can vary these bars by changing the granola or the nut butter.
Try cashew, peanut, soy or even seed butter for a change of pace.
Store the granola bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
