Walnut Chocolate Raisin Granola Bars
This recipe first appeared in my recipe column, Mixing with Zest, in The Westfield Leader on Jan. 21, 2021.
These granola bars are chewy, nutty, and sweet. I make homemade ‘walnut butter’ as the base of these granola bars, but hear me out, it’s really simple to do! It really gives these bars their signature savoriness. I love raisins so I put ½ cup in, but if you want them less sweet or would prefer a different kind of fruit, feel free to swap that in! This recipe makes 10 bars, depending on how big you slice them. You can also cut these into smaller squares for snacking or crumble on top of fruit or yogurt.
Ingredients:
2 cups oats
½ cup pretzels, crushed
2 cups walnuts
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup honey
½ cup raisins
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the oven is pre-heated, pour 2 cups of walnuts onto a large baking sheet and bake for 5 mins. You’ll use the oven again, so keep it on at 350.
While the nuts are baking, pour 1 ½ cups oats into large bowl.
Pour the remaining ½ cup of oats into a food processor. Blend until it’s a powder-like consistency, then pour into the bowl of oats.
Put pretzels into a ziplock bag or other container and crush into small chunks/pieces (you can use your fist or a wooden spoon to do this). Pour the crushed pretzels into the bowl of oats.
Remove the walnuts from the oven and place onto a large dish towel. Wrap the dishtowel around the walnuts and rub. This helps remove some of the walnuts’ skin.
Place the nuts into the food predecessor and blend on high for about 4 minutes, until the nuts are a smooth and creamy consistency. Make sure to pause occasionally to scrape the sides of the food processor to ensure even mixing.
Add the maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon to the food predecessor and blend for 2 minutes. (Some of the maple syrup won’t fully incorporate, but don’t worry!) Pour the nut butter and any remaining liquid into the bowl of oats.
Melt honey in a bowl in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Pour into the bowl of oats. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Chop your chocolate into small chunks and add the chocolate and raisins into the oat mixture. Stir to combine.
Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper on all sides. Make sure your strips of parchment paper are long enough to pull the bars out of the pan later.
Pour the oat mixture on top, and using your hands or a rubber spatula, firmly press the granola mixture evenly into the pan.
Bake for 10 mins at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
Place the pan of granola into the freezer for 1 hour and let chill.
Remove and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container.