Fig, Date & Almond Granola Bars
Back when I first got out of college and was pining my days away in a cubicle farm, I always hit that stereotypical 3pm brick wall at full speed. To be honest, I still start to drag in the middle of the afternoon but the effects are somewhat lessened when you’re not stuck in a cube with the buzz of white noise clogging up your ears. My remedy for the 3pm crash back in those days was Diet Coke and a snack. For awhile I would wander to the vending machines (walking away from your desk always helped) and grab pretzels or crackers. Then, I started buying boxes of granola bars and keeping them at my desk. They immediately became my go-to snack food when I needed to tide over hunger at work. Truth be told, I haven’t eaten them much since then, partly because I try to stay away from prepackaged/processed foods. Last year I started experimenting with homemade granola bars; not only are they much tastier but there are limitless possibilities in terms of flavors! And they’re still good to have in the house when I hit that 3pm brick wall in my home office :)
I came across this formula for soft and chewy granola bars over at Good Life Eats a little while ago and couldn’t wait to start experimenting! There are five basic components: grains (oats), nuts/seeds, dried fruit, a sticky sweetener and a binder (complete details are below). You can mix and match all sorts of different ingredients and flavors, which is awesome.
These sort of became my “let’s clean out the baking pantry” granola bars. I used up the dates, figs and raisins that I had and they magically added up to just about 1 cup. I had almonds, so I used those, then did honey as my sticky sweetener and unsweetened applesauce (had just enough left!) as my binder. After I made them I realized that they were almost exactly like the Cucidati cookies that I’ve made. Those have a filling that consists of pureed figs, dates, raisins, walnuts, honey and orange marmalde. Guess what? Next time I’m subbing in walnuts for the almonds and orange marmalade for the applesauce. Cucidati granola bars! I can’t wait!
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Basic Granola Bar Formula
1. Rolled Grains (2½ cups)
Suggestions: Oats, Rye flakes, Barley flakes, etc.
2. Nuts, Seeds & Spices (1 cup)
Suggestions: Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Cinnamon, Ginger, etc.
3. Sticky Sweetener (1/3 cup + ¼ cup)
Suggestions: Honey, Agave Nectar, Molasses, Maple Syrup
4. Dried Fruits (1 cup)
Suggestions: Raisins, Apricots, Dates, Figs, Prunes, Cranberries, Pineapple, etc.
5. Binder (1 cup)
Suggestions: Pureed Dried Fruit, Apple Butter, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Unsweetened applesauce, etc.
Fig, Date & Almond Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (244 g) unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup (113 ml) + ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (202.5 g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (143 g) chopped almonds
- ⅓ cup (49.67 g) chopped dried figs
- ⅓ cup (49 g) chopped dried dates
- ⅓ cup (48.33 g) raisins
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Stir in the oats, making sure that it is evenly mixed and all of the oats are moistened. Mix in the almonds, figs, dates and raisins.
- 3. Turn the mixture out into the baking pan and press into the pan, making sure it is evenly distributed and tightly packed.
- 4. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the freezer until the bars are firm, at least 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Recipe Note: I experimented with this recipe using both traditional rolled oats and quick oats. I tended to like the consistency of the bars with the quick oats, but I had my mom taste both and she liked the traditional rolled oats better. So I think it's a matter of taste/preference. Give them both a shot (or use what you have on hand) and see which you like better!
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Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hi michelle…thanks a ton for the chewy granola bars recipe…but pls help me out to increase the shelf life of the bars…as i need to make these bars repeatedly for the handicappped children in bulk for the church trust…and also freezing step is important or not…?? I realy appreciate ur help…waiting…!!! :)
You could just make them in bulk, wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag and freeze until you need them.
I made these granola bars two days ago. Absolutely delicious, so much better than any store bought granola bars I’ve ever tasted. Thank you, Michelle, for a perfect granola bar recipe! :-)
Thanks for the recipe! One question–do these bars have any trouble holding together? I hate when granola bars crumble during slicing!
Hi Alaina, I have not had any trouble with these bars crumbling.
Hi Yvonne, These do make chewy bars; they will not be crunchy. Be sure to pack the mixture very firmly into the pan. While mine were fine going from the oven into the freezer, it might vary depending on the type of pan that is being used. You could try letting the pan cool on a wire rack, then popping it in the freezer. That may help.
Thanks for your tips, Michelle! Tested them out on some friends and they all loved them. Thank you for another great recipe! :)
Thanks so much for your recipe and guidelines, Michelle! I love your blog and have made quite a few things already, all of which are delectable! Just have a quick question about these granola bars…like some the others, mine were a bit mushy. The top is baked fine but the bottom is kind of soft. Is that how they are supposed to be? Should I remove the parchment and bake them longer? (I was thinking of flipping them in the pan and baking a bit longer). I appreciate your help!