These are our favourite granola bars. They’re easy to make and keep well. Best of all, you can dress them up with whatever add-ins you fancy (see sidebar).

Makes 16 bars

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes
Setting time: 30 to 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ⅔ cups quick rolled oats
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup oat flour (see sidebar)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 to 3 cups add-ins (see sidebar)
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter or almond butter
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup liquid honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

GRANOLA BAR ADD-INS

• Raisins, apricots, cranberries, cherries, blueberries and/or dates
• Chopped or whole almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamias and/or hazelnuts
• Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, flax and/or chia seeds
• Unsweetened shredded or sweetened flaked coconut
• Wheat germ
• Wheat or oat bran
• Chocolate chips

BAKING DAY SECRESTS

• Look for oat flour in your local bulk store. If you can’t find it, pulse an equivalent amount of quick rolled oats in a food processor or blender until finely ground.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the base and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of paper on two facing sides. (This will help you remove the bars from the pan.) Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, sugar, oat flour, cinnamon (if using) and salt. Stir in your choice of add-ins (we used raisins, pumpkin seeds, wheat bran, chocolate chips, almonds and pecans). Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, melted butter, honey and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Add the peanut butter mixture to the rolled oat mixture, stirring until well combined.
5. Spoon the granola mixture into the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon or a piece of plastic wrap, flatten the mixture and smooth the surface level.
6. Bake until brown around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. The granola mixture will appear soft and not quite baked in the centre, but it will set once it has cooled.
7. Let the granola bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars from the pan to a cutting board. Cut into 16 bars or squares. If the granola mixture is too crumbly to cut neatly, return the bars (with the parchment) to the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (The granola bars can be stored in an airtight container, either with wax paper between the layers or individually wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 1 month, or frozen for up to 2 months.)