This post has been about fifteen years in the making. Seriously! I’ve wanted to make a healthy granola bar from scratch since I was in elementary school. It has always boggled my mind that something so healthy sounding – a granola bar – could be so unhealthy, when filled with so much fat and sugar. It had to be possible to make a healthy granola bar.
I tried. And tried again. And I could never get it to be sticky yet bendable, without lots of fat and sugar.
I’d heard rumours that brown rice syrup might solve my problems, but I was resistant to it, for one reason: it’s expensive!
But I decided to give it a try. And the results were amazing! The following recipe is a combination of these three recipes. And it will knock your socks off 
Great Scott! Granola Bars
by: EatCleanLiveGreen.com
Ingredients:
- 3/4 C brown rice syrup
- 1/4 C natural peanut butter
- 1 C rolled oats
- 1 C puffed millet
- 1/4 C ground flax meal
- 1/4 C hemp seeds
- 1/4 C sunflower seeds
- 1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
- Heat the brown rice syrup, peanut butter, vanilla + sugar on the stove (med-low) until it starts to simmer.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl
- Turn off heat and pour peanut butter mixture over remaining ingredients. Mix well.
- Pour into a baking dish lined with wax or parchment paper
- Wet your hands and pat down to get the surface totally smooth without sticky hands.
- Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Cut into bars. (Tip: use a pizza cutter!)
I meant to cut mine into 12 bars, which would have made them ~185 calories each. I cut mine into 9, at ~250 calories each.
I am in love with these bars. The peanut butter taste is awesome, and the hemp seeds give it a wonderful crunch. The brown rice syrup holds it together, but allows for some bendyness. 
I still don’t love the cost of brown rice syrup. However, all of the other ingredients are nice and cheap, which makes for pretty cost-effective recipe. I estimate this cost me about $5 to make – about $0.50 a bar!
(why Great Scott!? I was watching Back to the Future when I made them )
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
i’m always searching for make it at home granola bar recipes! so excited to try this out!! and i love the title haha
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Wow, those look delicious! I’ve never made my own granola bars before, but I really should. These would be handy to take to school. Thanks for the recipe
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granola bars you made look great, especially peanut butter!
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Love your blog! What as great recipe for granola bars. I’ve never made my own but after seeing you make them, they look pretty darn easy and quite yummy! Thanks for the recipe and for the 15 years in the making
Your dog is a cutie, BTW!
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hahaha great name!
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haha, I love the name! So fun! I’ve also wondered about the brown rice syrup, so it’s good to know it’s worth it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
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OW! They look fabulous. Where do you find your unsweetened coconut? I can’t ever find it.
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Allison Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 7:09 am
I actually found it at a stall in my Farmer’s Market! goingnuts.ca
I’ve seen shredded unsweetened coconut in the baking aisle at my regular grocery store – maybe try a health food store for the flakes?
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these bars look awesome! and I love the new blog
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Ok must go to the grocery store and buy these ingredients, come home and make these stat!
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I tried this recipe – was good. Used pure maple syrup instead of the rice syrup and did not include the sugar (as maple syrup is sweet enough).
I also used Kashi 7 grain cereal (no sugar) instead of the millet, as I couldn’t find millet.
Turned out pretty good and very easy to make.
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