Morning muesli pick-me-up
Whether you call them granola bars or muesli bars, the fact is that many companies make millions off these bars of natural pure energy. An easy breakfast or mid-morning snack, they are the perfect treat for anyone on the go, and a wonderfully compact energy boost when you feel yourself running out of steam.
However, have you SEEN what they charge for these little suckers? I recently bought some ‘natural’ ones (how natural can they be when you don’t recognize half the listed ingredients) at the supermarket at $7 for a packet of 6 tiny bars - an utter rip off, if you ask me! For that price, I could easily make five times that amount and - even better - I could put in whatever I wanted!
In fact, thinking about it more, I wondered just exactly why I’d never made them myself!
Well, the answer is pretty obvious - convenience is the culprit! Growing up with my mother throwing the odd Uncle Toby’s muesli bar into my lunchbox, I just associated them as one of those things people bought but didn’t make…which is silly, really. I mean, I practically make my own everything else, so it’s a pretty poor reason. With that in mind, I hit my cookbooks and found a recipe for ‘real’ muesli bars in Bill Granger’s ‘Every Day‘ cookbook. It looked pretty great, except for one thing - they looked butt ugly and the ratios were (in my opinion) not the tastiest.
So, doing what I do best, I wrote down the basic recipe and hit the internet for inspiration. Browsing a few other recipes to look at ratios, I scribbled notes and jumped into the kitchen to start my first ever journey into homemade muesli bars.
As for the result? Well, not to blow smoke up my own arse but they’re a damned sight better looking than Bill’s, and the family devoured almost the entire lot in a week!
So if you love your muesli bars, I implore you to give these a try - for just a little effort, not only can you control what goodness you put in, but also have the added benefit of the chemicals you’re leaving out!
Pick-me-up muesli bars
(inspired by Bill Granger’s muesli bars in Every Day)
Ingredients
320g rolled oats
1/3cup plain flour
100mL vegetable oil
200g mild honey (try 100g honey and 100g golden syrup for a deeper flavour)
50g brown sugar
2-3 tbsp smooth peanut butter (if you’re allergic to peanuts, this can be replaced with any other nut butter, or even just omitted)
40g desiccated coconut
150-200g of assorted nuts and seeds (I used pepitas, sunflower seeds, pecans and almonds)
150-200g assorted dried fruit (I like apricots, sultanas, cranberries and dried pineapple)
If you prefer a crunchy rather than a chewy muesli bar, toast the rolled oats and nuts beforehand. Nuts are best placed in an oven preheated to about 180 degrees C for about 5-10 minutes (jiggle the pan every few minutes so they don’t burn) and oats can be coated with a little cooking spray, tossed to ensure even coverage, and placed into a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for about 5-10 minutes, or till lightly golden and fragrant.
1. Preheat oven to 160, line an 35×25cm (or close) tin with baking paper.
2. Roughly chop the nuts and larger pieces of dried fruit into smaller pieces (about the same size as a sultana/golden raisin). Then place the chopped nuts into a bowl with the oats, seeds, coconut and flour and stir together with a wooden spoon till well combined.
3. Heat the honey in the microwave or on your stovetop (in a pan, of course!!) till it is liquid, then add the sugar, peanut butter and oil and whisk together till everything has melted.
4. Pour together the wet and dry mixture and stir together till evenly combined, then place into your lined tin. Wet your hands with some cold water, and using both the wooden spoon and your hands, pack the mixture down flat, making sure to get it into the corners.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes if you prefer a softer, chewier muesli bar, and up to 50-60 minutes if you prefer a crunchier one. During the baking process, to help hold it together, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to squish down/compact the baking mixture every 10-15 minutes or so (not sure if it actually helps, but I did it anyway)
6. Once baked, remove from the oven and use a hot oiled knife to mark the bars in the tin (the mixture will fall apart if you remove it from the tin while hot!). Allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin to your chopping board and cut the bars apart.
7. These can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 weeks - and taste FAR superior to supermarket varieties! Just make sure you layer nonstick baking paper between the layers as they do have a tendency to stick!
Technorati Tags: breakfast, granola, muesli, snacks, recipe
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Comments
what a winner! less expensive and more delicious! and your bars look so professional!! did you measure the dimensions of the store-bought ones to get them looking so authentic?!
These look so good. I am going to try these. Like you never it never thought to make these, and be able to actually now what it in there. I eat a bar after I work out and these will fit the bill. I am going to try these.
These look amazingly good! I’ve got some nuts stashed in the freezer–leftovers from other recipes–and this sounds like a great way to use them up.
I can’t tell you how happy I am that you have done all this research for me. I too had no success or joy with the Bill Granger recipe and am so grateful to this beautiful version…Thank you xxxxxoooo
Great post and I really appreciate all the photo tips in the sidebar. I just discovered your blog via Tastespotting.
What a great post. Simple, well-made things like this, are what make great food blogs.
I’ll be giving these a go, for sure.
I’ve been looking for a recipe to completely clear our pantry of all dried fruits, oats and coconut before moving overseas.
This is perfect!
Trying them out this morning, albeit a bastardised version according to what we have in the pantry.
Thank-you!
I was wondering how sweet these are? I have a super sweet tooth, but for some reason, I really don’t like it when muesli bars are too sweet. They look delicious, and I really want to try them. 
these look like the pics on the packets of store-bought muesli bars - but have you noticed that the actual bars never look that good! This recipe looks great - putting it on my list!
hey
i made these today & they were good. the only thing was they were really crumbly. they didn’t stay together too well, which is obviously a bit annoying. i used the same amounts as you posted, what do you think i did wrong or what do you think i could add to help make them stay together better?
i used a liquid honey, not solid do you think that may have been part of it?
hey Ellie,
even though I don\’t get to try out a lot of your recipes (mostly b/c the ingredients aren\’t available where I live) you make it sound so easy/practical/fun! how about some jam recipes? thanks for taking time to post despite being so busy w/ work 
@beth - Likewise, I like having them on hand for a quick energy boost bite and it’s nice being able to make them myself now 
@kat - Absolutely
@Fran Magbual - I reckon a little drizzled choc on top and it should be easy
@Kyle @ Yumoh! - Heck naw, I’m far too lazy 
Just cut cut cut ‘em up!
@Shellie - Hehehe, I know what a ’sorta’ health kick feels like
@donna - Hope you enjoy
@Mariska - Perhaps malt syrup or golden syrup?
@Angela - I hope you like the recipe
@pea & pear - My pleasure, hope you like
@Julie - Dessicated coconut is just cut smaller than shredded coconut
@Madam Chow - My pleasure
@Kirstie - I do my best
@Graeme - Thanks hon
@farida - Thanks
@Asianmommy - Cheers
@Eathan White - Me
@Bruno - I concur
@Kim - I hope they turned out okay!
@grace - Thanks
@Patricia Scarpin - Hehehe, they should be OK!
@CJ - They are quite sweet, but you might be able to replace some of the honey with another binding ingredient…ummm, maybe mashed banana or peanut butter?
@Johanna - Cheers hon
@linda - Perhaps, though I don’t know what solid honey is.
@Reenah - Thanks
I am not usually a granola bar person - but these look so very tempting! Great pictures and I am sure delicious results!
Alexandra
Yummo! I tried Bill’s version and have to say they were very disappointing. I LOVE Bill so this was even more disappointing than a regular recipe not being that good. Anyway, I put a friend onto your site ages ago, she came to morning tea today and bought these along then told me where she got the recipe from and I have to say… THANKS ELLIE! They were fantastic.
Oooh, I think I might have to try a gluten free version of these!
Is the flour just to bind, or is it also to dry the mixture out or make it sticky? (it effects which GF flours I should use). Thanks!
I agree that supermarkets charge a stupid amount for granola bars - these look delicious and far tastier. Added to my ‘to make’ pile
Thank you! These were so delicious and I was so proud of myself for making granola bars that tasted good and didn’t fall apart!
Thanks for this recipe. It is better than the one I had and I am sick of paying $3 for a small slice at our local cafe.
Great blog!
@ Sweet Tooth: Thanks
@ Red Dirt Mummy: Aww heck, I’m glad you both enjoyed it
@ DEathmitten: I aim to please
@ smileyfish: The flour is mostly to bind, but it does make the mixture sticky…does that help?
@ Ruth: I’m so glad that you enjoyed them
@ foodlovers.co.nz: Thanks hon And woah, $3 a slice is steep!
I always take granola bars into the office - and end up spending a fortune. I’ll have to give these a try.