These homemade granola bars are easily customized to taste with your own favorite fruits and nuts. The peanut butter gives the bars a rich nutty flavor and a soft, bendy-yet-chewy texture. If you're feeding a crowd or you want to stock your freezer, make a double batch and bake a half-sheet pan's worth of Chewy Granola Bars.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 13" pan with a parchment paper sling and lightly grease the parchment.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sugar, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, and the dried fruit and nuts. (For best texture and easiest cutting, be sure the fruits and nuts are cut/chopped into small, fairly uniform pieces.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, melted butter or oil, honey or syrup, light corn syrup, water, and vanilla.
Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
Spread in the prepared pan, shaking the pan to evenly cover the bottom and patting down gently.
Bake the chewy granola bars for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're golden brown around the edges.
Remove the granola bars from the oven and place them on a wire rack. Immediately loosen the edges then allow the bars to cool for 30 minutes in the pan.
With the help of the parchment sling, carefully remove the warm bars from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool completely (at least another 30 minutes). When bars are completely cool, use a serrated knife to carefully cut them into bars.
Wrap the bars individually to store; or place in a single layer on a plate and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between. In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator. Freeze for longer storage.
What kinds of add-ins are good in these bars? We like 1/2 cup each dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut. Or use our Baker's Fruit Blend in place of the dried fruit; it contains a delicious combination of raisins, apricots, peaches, pears, nectarines, and cranberries.
