Did you know there are a total of 46 ingredients in a Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bar?
Here goes: High fructose corn syrup, sugar, strawberries, corn syrup, fructose, glycerin, water, maltodextrin, modified corn starch, citric acid, sodium alginate, natural and artificial strawberry flavor, caramel color, calcium phosphate, xantham gum, malic acid, sodium citrate, modified cellulose, red #40, enriched wheat flour, whole oats, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, honey, calcium carbonate, dextrose, nonfat dry milk, wheat bran, salt, cellulose gum, potassium bicarbonate, natural and artificial vanilla flavor, soy lecithin, wheat gluten, corn starch, niacinamide, carrageenan, guar gum, zinc oxide, reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin A palitate, thiamin hydrochloride, and folic acid.
That’s nearly twice as many ingredients found in my shampoo. Eeeks. Not to mention, each bar has a shelf-life that, I imagine, could easily outlast our entire civilization. Other brands may try to tout less ingredients, but produce an equally scary attribute, emerging as hard as cement. I’ve cracked a back molar or two taking a bite outta those little suckers. It’s no wonder my dentist insists on packing a granola bar within each goodie bag I receive twice a year from him. And here I thought he was just being nice. There needs to be a better option. There must be a better option. And luckily, there IS a better option!
Serendipitously, I had a nice full batch of my favorite homemade granola which I made two days ago. Next, I eyed what was left of my peanut butter wonder and immediately saw this better option come to life right before me. Homemade Granola Bars. I was able to make my own granola bars in less time than it would have taken me to get in the car, drive to the market, shop, wait in line, check-out, drive back home and unpack. How can you beat that? Plus, homemade granola bars contain one essential main ingredient that can never, ever be found in factory produced ones … and that ingredient is, love.
Made with love, for my Tony.
(awh, shucks).
Homemade Granola Bars
Tweaked from Mark Bittman, NY Times Bitten
This is another very flexible recipe that you can adjust to your own likings. Customizable granola bars – yes!
Music Pairing: Fleetwood Mac, Tell Me Lies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup homemade peanut butter
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
- 3 cups homemade granola
Method
Put the honey, peanut butter, and oil in a small pot and bring to a boil. Put the granola in a large bowl and pour the sugar mixture over the top while mixing; stir until the granola is well coated.
Press into an 8- or 9-inch square pan and let cool in the fridge. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
These look absolutely perfect! I will definitely be trying these.
46 ingredients now that is scary! I make my own granola (or muesli as we tend to call it in the UK) so this recipe shows that it shouldn’t be too hard to make my own granola bars as well.
gourmet chick – VERY scary, and rather disgusting. i’m very familiar with your muesli and find it very tasty. it would be lovely as granola bars…portable and delicious.
I rarely buy granola bars for my family, because of the junk in them. What a fabulous idea to make them from scratch and get rid of all that junk that doesn’t belong there!
Looks wonderful. Nice job!
This looks amazing.
Great photography.
I may have to put down the Lay’s potato chips and start eating healthy foods again.
;)
reginald – hmm…i wonder how many ingredients are in a bag of lay’s? :)
That is so simple, it is almost like cheating! … How is the texture of these bars? They look chewy (in a good way).
thecornerbooth – my sentiments exactly…i did feel like i was cheating. the bars were super chewy, just the way i like them. i’d imagine, if you prefer your granola bars with a bit more crunch, just add less honey and more chopped nuts.
I make homemade granola all the time. I’ve wondered about making it into bars by just letting it cool in the pan and cutting it rather than all the stirring to make the clumps… but I thought if I did that they might turn out too hard. Your recipe looks like it worked out great! I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks!
hi carrie – i’ve had very similar temptations while waiting impatiently for my warm granola to cool. the “binder” is key for the moistness and chewiness of the bars. let me know if you give it a try!
I’ve been thinking about making granola bars. Now I have no excuse. Thanks for a fine recipe.
I’ve been wanting to make home made granola bars! Yum. Your bars look delicious! I think I will add chocolate chips to mine. Great post!
~Lynette
lynette….ouuuuu, chocolate chips, what a brilliant idea and why on earth didn’t i think of doing so when i made these??? chocolate, peanut butter and homemade granola. a match made in heaven! next time, the chocolate chips are goin’ in.
Perfection!
These look so easy, I don’t know why I haven’t made them before!
Your granola bar looks beautiful and I completely agree with the total disgust for the crap in commercial brands of granola bars. BTW, your music pairing made me laugh, thanks!
hi jessica – yes, there’s so many chemicals that i don’t see how it can even pass as food. i thought the song to be quite fitting for the occasion and have been humming it in my head all day. :)
Even with 46 ingredients a K granola bar can wish to look this good!!!!
I’ve been making granola bars for years so I know how much you are enjoying the lovely ones you made right now! The best thing about making them are all the flavor combos you can play with using fruits, nuts, jellies, etc.
hi rachel – you have been way ahead of the curve! i wish i had been making these little fellas years ago too. do you have a favorite combo to share?
Those granola bars are beautiful (if I can say that about a granola bar) – so simple and healthy-looking. My stomach started to hurt as I read the nutri-grain ingredient list.
cookin’ canuck – i think the granola bar is very flattered by your comment. :)
You totally convinced me. I am going to try these and they look fabulous. And so fresh. And guilt-chemical-free. Great recipe.
This looks wonderful. My Hubby bought this huge box of granola and only ate it once. Now I have all this extra and was trying to figure out how I could use it. You gave me the perfect solution! Thanks!!!!
heavenly housewife – most excellent to hear the granola does not have to go to waste. your hubby may end up finishing the box after all without even knowing it. :)
Ooooohhhhh, that is a GRAND idea. I can’t wait to take my favorite homemade granola and press it into bars!
Love it! I think I will try to make these with half a box of leftover crunchy Kashi cereal and see what happens!
hi laura – i’ve never had kashi cereal before, but i’m curious to see how it turns out for you! keep me posted!
I live in the Uk and no one here makes their homemade peanut butter apart from the one bought in shops. So will it be ok to use normal peanut butter and will come out as good as yours. yours look so yummy. with thanks
hi rashida – sure, you can definitely use store bought peanut butter. i would just try to go with the most natural or organic one you can find that doesn’t contain any (or very little) added sugar. would love to know how it turns out for you!
Love your comparison of the number of ingredients :-) Your granola bars look fantastic…nice combination of flavors and no artificial stuff. Great picture as well….look really yummie! You really can tell how fresh these bars are…yummie again!
I never did like those bars for a reason!
your own homemade version looks and sounds SO much better. I’d buy these by the cratefuls!
Sound healthier and delicious.the best part is easy to make . I love that you used your homemade peanut butter, that i previously bookmarked,Very useful.
hi sylvia – would love to know how the peanut butter works out for you and don’t forget to save some for your granola bars!
The granola bar look fantastic – the love shows ;-)
bergamot – awwh, that is sweet! it’s all about the love. :)
Yummy!! Amen to home-made! My mom used to make her own g-bars, but hasn’t lately… I’ll have to use some of the granola she made and make some of these =D
i’m writing down the recipe now!
livvyjane – oh good! you can surprise your mom with them! i’m sure she will be impressed. :)
that is the best looking granola bar I have ever seen, I love that it only has a few ingredients too.
Looks perfectly yummy!
Looks delicious, well done :) xx Rico|Receitas
MMMMMMM….your bars look healthy & yummie! I don’t like peanut butter: what else could I use?
hi sophie – you can easily substitute the peanut butter with an equal amount of brown sugar.
I have started making alot of my family’s food from necessity – we have a severely allergic kid. Yes, it is a major PIA, but it gives me the opportunity to try and make things I would normally just buy. So, my question is, what can I use in place of the PB – no nuts allowed, or eggs, any ideas?? It probably needs to be something that helps stick it all together…
hi lisaloo – instead of the PB, you can simply use the same amount of brown sugar. alternatively, the original recipe has a dried fruit variation where you substitute dried fruit for the honey and PB, and then puree the dried fruit with the oil in a food processor until smooth. i haven’t tried it out yet, but it seems like it could make for a nice, fruity bar. i love making items at home that i normally would purchase – many times, it reminds me of what REAL food actually tastes like again (chemical and preservative free)! :)
simple and perfect.
I’m always look for new granola bar recipes to replace those ones with the super long ingredient lists. Yikes! I haven’t checked those out in a while, had no idea the list was that long. Yours look beautiful!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m so happy to find yours.
Hello!
I am thinking of making these for my diet conscious Nan and they should please her as they are nice and healthy and still made from the heart! She always complains she never gets to eat my cooking as I tend to make brownies / cupcakes etc that would ruin the diet so thank you for helping me please her :D
hi tara – oh, i’m always happy to help out your Nan. everyone should make treats for their Nan like you do. i think she’ll be surprised how healthy AND tasty some things can be! hope she enjoys them!
Hello, first let me start off by saying what a wonderful blog you have here! I am on a “make your own” kick lately and feel the same way about granola bars! Your right, my shampoo has less ingredients! I love that you have made your own peanut butter and different condiments.
You’re so right about the list of ingredients in prepared food… it makes me shudder… any food that lasts so long can be no good.
I’m not big on granola bars… just here to appreciate the simply beautiful photo :)
Thanks for posting this recipe. The beginning of your post reminded me of Michael Pollan’s book “In Defense of Food”. Although I had always been cautious with the processed food I bought and consumed, his emphasis on the amount of ingredients an item contains and other definitions about real food really made me think harder about my eating habits. I am definitely going to make a batch of these bars and keep them on hand when I need a quick snack!
[…] bars sooner. I found a recipe (which was inspired by New York Times’ blogger Mark Bittman) at kissmyspatula, and was instantly smitten. According to kissmyspatula, there are 46 ingredients (from nine […]
Does anyone know of a peanut free recipe? I have been trying to find one of these recipes to make for my kiddie cooker class but we can’t use anything with nuts for obvious reasons.
hi chrissy – kiddie cooker class – how great! please see response to lisaloo above.
I was so glad to find your recipe! Peanutbutter, unfortunately, gives me eczema, but I will be replacing it with my standard alternative, Sunbutter, made from roasted sunflower seeds. I get mine from the health food store and better chain stores. It is nearly the same in taste and will provide the sticky, binding properties along with the flavor I miss. Thanks for this great inexpensive and healthy alternative.
I love these!! Thank you for a beautiful post.
I’ve included this recipe in my Ultimate Top 30 Healthy Recipe Posts on the Internet
http://www.theinternetchef.biz
Thank you for sharing!!
Love,
Bridge.
I’m making these as I type…any chance I can freeze them?
thanks xo
I just made granola for the first time last month, so wow, looks like I could make this now too! Thanks for the idea and reminder that even though it may “sound” healthy on the cover, that homemade is always better tasting and better for you!
Wow..looks perfect just like store bought…Thanx for the recipe
I just have to say that I too make my own granola bars because I don’t want my kids downing a bunch of preservatives and additives and god knows what else. I made your rendition of them and they were a huge hit! Thanks! If you want to take a look, they are posted on my site under “The Easiest No Bake Granola Bars” and gave you credit. Thanks again!
Perfect , beautiful pictures! Looks so crispy!
I read the ingredients list of a Nutrigrain bar during my morning break and was I shocked how sugar factored highly (twice!) in the list of ingredients. Then I found this post. Serendipitous, no? I have been waiting for the weekend to make my own gbars, and I think the great recipe and the passion for real food will help me a ton! Thanks for the great post!
I LOVE how simple this recipe is. Could you use canola oil?
i made these a few days ago and have been enjoying them ever since. i used muesli from the whole foods bulk section, and olive oil instead of corn or grapeseed (you couldn’t tell). since the muesli is more raw than granola, i baked mine at 350 for about 30 minutes. i love them…somehow their taste reminds me a cross between a fig newton and a poptarl…but in a much healthier and more natural way! thanks for the post :)
Question: what do you mean store in an airtight container for up to 4 days? After that we have to store in the fridge?
josephine, store the leftover bars in a tupperware container, either in a cool space or directly in the fridge. if you do store the bars in the fridge, let them come to room temperature before serving.
Great recipe!
I’m allergic to peanut butter, so I substituted Trader Joes Creamy Almond Butter. I used plain granola and added: Whole Almonds, whole cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, golden raisins, and dried cranberries. Next time, I’m going to add a little less honey to counter-act all of the dried fruit I added. I’m going to bring some of these with me, next time I go hiking.
Yay! So happy to hear you they turned out well for you, Sarita! We are on the same wave length – I’m all set to bake up my next batch…for this weekend.
[…] with a variety of granola bar recipes, I’ve found one that works really well for us – adapted from Kiss My Spatula, who adapted it from Mark […]
My son can’t take anything with peanut butter in it to school (or anyplace else for that matter). Is there a way to make granola bars without peanut butter?
Hi Julie – If your son can have almond butter, that would work just as well.
My son is also allergic to peanut butter and we are avoiding anything that is related to nuts. Is there anything else besides almond butter or sun-butter that can be used to bind the bars. It is very frustrating because the only bars he will eat are purchased from the store and are peanut safe but LOADED with sugar! Help…
Caroline – Though I’ve never tried it, you may want to consider ‘soy’ butter or sunflower seed butter.
i didn’t know where to write this comment, so i decided to post it here
i just want to say that i LOVE this website. i’m in love with baking and making simple things, and i’m the kind of person who can just sit there for hours and read/look up recipes. so i saw this… i forgot where, but i thought i’d check it out. and
1) i adore the format of the website, without capital letters, and the simplicity of it all
2) the photographs
3) the ingredients are not impossible to get
4) the recipes aren’t impossible to make
5) everything is so creative and healthy!
so i decided to try these recipes as soon as can
awesome website, seriously
and i love that actually reply to the questions.
oh! and the music pairing is so cool.
welcome and thanks so much for the sweet comment, lana!
Hello,
Just curious do you have to use corn or grapeseed oil? All I have is olive oil?
Hi Kayla, I’ve never tried it with olive oil, but I’m sure it would be fine as long as it’s a very ‘neutral’ and basic olive oil…ie) not too fruity, herby, etc. Hope that helps!
Hi, I saw your AMAZING granola bars, and I was wondering if I could use oats instead of granola, also I like putting rice krispies in my granola bars, will either ingredient affect the outcome of this beautiful bar?
Made my granola using coconut oil and left out the brown sugar when I made it into bars, again using coconut oil. They are delicious I will be making them again soon.
Just made the granola and granola bars…I wonder if my husband might find the bars a bit too sweet, has anyone tried reducing the honey and adding more peanut butter? (I also added chopped up swiss chocolate and extra coconut to the granola bars, can’t wait until the are cooled!)
These were awesome! I used a package of all natural Wild Tree granola mix as the starter. They are cooling now, but from the little bit of picking my son and I did, they taste amazing! I cannot believe that granola bars are this easy