The perfect bite for breakfast — or a snack
When a snack attack hits, reach for these chewy, buttery granola bars. They’re packed with grated apples, warming spices and toothsome oats — perfect as a lunch-box treat or an on-thego breakfast.
One of the universally appealing things about granola-bar recipes is that they’re very simple to make, and these are no exception. The butter, syrup and sugar are melted in a pot; then the oats, spices and grated apples are mixed straight in to make a sticky dough that is pressed into a tray, decorated with apple slices (totally optional, but so pretty) and baked.
Of course, the adaptability of the recipe is great, too. I left them pretty simple with just the apple in there, but dried fruit or nuts would also be perfect additions.
APPLE PIE GRANOLA BARS
Makes 16 Ingredients:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup loosely packed light-brown
sugar 3 tablespoons golden syrup, honey,
agave syrup or brown-rice syrup 2 medium apples, grated (1 scant cup
grated) 2 1/4 cups instant oats 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1 medium apple, cored, halved and
very thinly sliced (optional)
Directions:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, making sure there is excess
paper hanging over the two long sides; set aside.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Remove from
the heat. Add the grated apples, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Stir until well-combined.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture evenly into the baking dish. If using apple slices, fan them out over the mixture, and press them down slightly. Bake until just starting to turn golden
brown at the edges, 25 to 35 minutes.
Let cool in the baking dish for 15 minutes. Remove the slab from the pan by grasping the excess parchment and lifting it out. Place on a cutting board, and cut into 16 bars.
Recipe notes: Add in a few tablespoons of chopped nuts, seeds or dried fruit for a different flavor. The bars can be stored in