The Perfect Homemade Granola Bar?

My family is often on the go, and although we try to be home for mealtime we are often eating snacks in the car or at the park. Granola bars are an easy staple, but I prefer bars that are high either in protein or in fiber so that they having staying power in our systems. In the quest to find a nutritious and satisfying granola bar, I have tried a few homemade varieties. I like the fact that I can add the ingredients that I want my family to eat – oats, nuts, dried fruit, etc. – and I also like that they are more affordable than some of the more nutritious store-bought bars. However, all of the recipes that I have tried have fallen short in one way or another. Some of the recipes that taste the most like a chewy granola bar are very high in sugar, calling for lots of honey or agave nectar, and when I try to cut down on the amount of these ingredients my bars come out crumbly. Other recipes are not appealing to the kids, and still others taste great but don’t have much nutritional value.

I would love to hear your suggestions on how to make a fool-proof homemade granola bar! The other problem with these recipes is that they call for large amounts of peanut butter and/or nuts, dried fruit, and honey/agave nectar, and if the recipe is a flop  then I feel like I have wasted these precious ingredients. Please share your recipes with us in the comments section, and if there are any special instructions that are key to the success of the bar, please share those as well. Most of the recipes that I have tried have called for heating some combination of peanut butter and sugar in a pan over low heat, and I have also found it helpful to refrigerate or freeze the bars before slicing. Your turn to share!

May God bless you and your families as you head into this weekend! Mary, Queen of Families, pray for us!