Reviewed: Nov. 10, 2009

Great recipe. I'm so excited not to buy Nature Valley, now! I reduced the sugar and highly recommend it. There's so much honey in it to sweeten it sufficiently. I like the many possibilities for variations on this recipe. I look forward to another go at it, next time for a crunchier batch.

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Suzanne F

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Carrollton, Georgia, USA

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

This is a good recipe. Tweak it to your family's tastes. I prefer a less dense bar, so my next batch will include Rice Krispies or somesuch thing to make it lighter. I did the usual "healthy" changes plus one other that I didn't see listed a billion times so I'll mention this one--I replaced part of the honey with almond butter (will use peanut butter next time). It changes the sweetness ratio when you do that, but not the stickiness ratio (which is the harder to control of the two). I do recommend everyone try this without "extras" at least once so you can see what the texture should be like. (Replace grains for grains, fruits for fruits, fats for fats, etc, but don't go adding 2 more cups of salted nuts and then whine when it turns out dry or salty!) This recipe is pretty much no-fail assuming you like oats to start with! P.S. It is not necessary to "generously grease" your pan. A generous spritzing of cooking spray works just fine if you cut them & run a knife around the edges when they're still warm.

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JARRIE

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Richmond, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

I made these bars and they turned out great. I substituted wheat germ for bran , because that's all I had, also half of the oil for orange juice and a mixture of nuts instead of raisins. I am anxious to try more variations!

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Foodlover

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Reviewed: Nov. 7, 2009

3/4 tsp salt was a little too much for my tastes. I'll cut it back to 1/2 tsp next time. I made cinnamon and raisin, as the recipe called for - and they are very tasty. Next time I'll try some different add in and flavors.

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cookin'mama

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Living In: Tempe, Arizona, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 6, 2009

A great base for granola bars! The first time I made these, I thought they were a little dense. However, the next time I made them, I threw in some rice crispies to lighten them up, and they turned out AMAZING. I also may have added a few chocolate chips and extra brown sugar which probably helped. I don't know how healthy I made them, but they sure taste good and make a great breakfast.

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Becca D

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Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2009

These are great. Didn't have wheat germ, so I just didn't use it. Put in 3/4 c. of peanutbutter and 3/4 c. of mini chocolate chips, instead of raisins [one grandaughter dosen't like raisins :p] Will make these again.

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Trisha

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2009

Great and easy. My 11 year old makes them weekly. We've added chocolate and coconut too--it's all good :)

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Kate

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Nov. 4, 2009

Good base recipe to start from--fun to mix in your own add-ins based on taste preferences! I used ground flaxseed in place of wheat germ, since it's what I had. I had a mix of dried cherries, dried cranberries, golden raisins, and a few white chocolate chips for fun. Next time, I will underbake a little so they stay chewy longer. Overall, great recipe that is very easy to make. TIP: line pan with foil for easier removal. I didn't do this the second time I made these and it was a pain that resulted in odd-shaped bars! Also, will reduce sugar next time by 1/3.

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FNCHEF

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Living In: Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2009

This recipe is great as is, or as many others have indicated is easy to adapt to your taste, creativity, or just to whatever you have on hand. I first made these just after delivering my son. I was nursing and wanted to have something quick to eat that wasn't processed, would be nutritious, and would also "keep things movin'" (if you know what I mean!) I always use whole wheat flour, add whole and/or ground flax seed to increase the fiber, and decrease the amount of brown sugar. For a chocolate version, I substitute molasses (high in vitamins) for the honey, replace 1/2 cup of the flour with Ovaltine (also high in vitamins) and some powdered cocoa mix and add mini-chocolate chips instead of raisins. Nutritiously decadent!

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p'biddy mom

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Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2009

I have made this following the recipe exactly (when I was out of my more healthy ingredients) and they are pretty tasty. Although, I would NOT bring these to a playgroup. They are pretty unhealthy (oil, sugar, white flour). As is, they are more like a bar cookie than a granola bar.

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tcoop3

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2009

This was a very easy recipe, but way to sweet. I had no problem getting my kids and husband to eat these b/c they tasted like cookies.

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tdunc17

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Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2009

Very yummy bars, but they definitely do not take 30 minutes to took. Mine took about 20 minutes. They are very delicious as written, but you can make them healthier by reducing the brown sugar at least to 1/2 cup, using whole wheat flour and replacing the oil with applesauce.

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Sugar8184

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Oct. 31, 2009

I agree with other reviews that this is a good start or base granola bar recipe. I liked it, but I thought the honey taste overpowered everything else. Sooo the next time I used light corn syrup instead of honey and it was great. I have tried this recipe substituting different dried fruits including dried cranberries, coconut, apples, or raisins, and I have even put a mixture of nuts including unsalted sesame seeds, slivered almonds, or walnuts. Also, I have added mini chocolate chips or drizzled white almond bark over the top when they come out of the oven. I also agree that the cook time is a little long, they do not need to be brown around the edges, that usually means the edge pieces are going to be crunchy while the middle pieces are more chewy; probably around 25-30 minutes is good. Oh and lastly, I don't always put cinnamon in them when it doesn't go with the other ingredients, and I always lessen the salt to 1/2 tsp! Hope everyone enjoys all of the variations you can make with this recipes!!!

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Whitney_j

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2009

1st time I have ever made Granola bars and I loved them! I followed one of the reviews though used whole wheat flour, reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 a cup. They were still really sweet. I also added dried cranberries and chopped some almonds, I am making some this week me and my toddler ate them all up! My husband said they were a little dry but I think he thought they were cookies not granola bars. I will be making these all the time now just so we always have them on hand!

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Athenarose

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Living In: Kodiak, Alaska, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 26, 2009

EXCELLENT! I drizzled them with chocolate and sprinkles for my sons birthday snack at preschool, the kids LOVED them. So versatile, I can't wait to try other mix-ins!

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Twinmama

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Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2009

Very good! Skipped the raisens, personal preference, and added some applesauce. Thank you for the great recipe!

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ebrunworth

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2009

YUM! We love these. I always add some milled flax seed too just for nutritional value. For adults you can also add whey protein.

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THELANDRYS

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Krotz Springs, Louisiana, USA

Living In: Coppell, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2009

I thought these were great...I did cook them for slightly less time (about 20 minutes) because I wanted them to be chewy and they turned out great! The only reason I give them 4 stars is that my kids/husband are picky picky and they didn't like the "big chunks" of oats, so I will have to process the oats a little before next time. Very yummy though.

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jerce

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Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2009

I'm giving this 5 stars because I've made them twice, doubling the recipe each time, I'm able to substitute the add-ins that my family likes (mini-marshmallows, 1/2 c peanut butter) for the cranberries and coconut, and both adults and kids think these are awesome. My kids refer to them as "cookies" (cookie bars) and adults refer to them as "granola bars". Either way, they work for breakfast or dessert.

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Renae Sattazahn

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Branson, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2009

Great recipe! Don't have to buy granola bars at the store anymore. I used less honey (about 1/3c) and less sugar (about 1/3 cup). Used half white and half whole wheat flour.

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DUESER

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