Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars

Photo: The Kitchn

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These crunchy granola bars make a satisfying on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snack.

SERVINGS
Makes about a dozen bars

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 tbsp. soy butter (or almond or peanut butter), preferably chunky
3 tbsp. honey
3 1/2 tbsp. brown rice syrup
big splash of vanilla extract
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 cups puffed wheat, rice or kamut
1/2 cup bran buds or Grape-Nuts cereal
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not the quick-cook kind)
1 handful (about 1/3 cup) dried cranberries or cut-up dried apricot
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds (or a mixture with raw)
cinnamon

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 8- or 9-inch square pan with a long sheet of parchment paper (you want longer ends than the length of the pan).

2. Warm soy butter, honey, brown rice syrup, vanilla and brown sugar until sugar has melted and soy butter has thinned.

3. Mix dry ingredients in big bowl and dust with cinnamon. Pour liquid on top, mixing as you go.

4. When everything is equally coated, spread the mixture into the pan. Press mixture down with long ends of the parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes.

5. When you remove the pan from the oven, again use long ends of the parchment to press bars flat. Allow to cool completely before touching again.

6. When totally cooled and hard, lift the ends of the parchment and put onto a cutting board and cut into longish bars or squares.

Recipe courtesy The Kitchn blog.

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