Nutella Granola Bar

Nutella Granola Bars

I have been making these granola bars as a way to eat whole grains, since this original post.  To give credit to whom it belongs, the original recipe that I used was girli chef's Groovy Granola Bar Recipe,

This variation occurred because I needed some granola bars for work and I had a half a jar of Nutella that I never use.  I wondered if I could make the granola bars with Nutella.

I followed the basic 'Girli Groovy Granola Bars' recipe, but used what I had.  In addition to the Nutella, I added some dried fruit and an additional egg.  My ingredient list this time around:

• 2 c rolled oats
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c wheat germ
• 1/4 c flaxseed meal
• 2 c goodies:
• 1/4 c sesame seeds
• 1/4 c pine nuts
• 1/4 c pepitas
• 1/4 c millet
• 1/4 c coconut flakes
• 1/4 c red quinoa
• 1/2 c almonds
• 1/2 c coconut oil
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c dried papaya
• 1/4 c dried bananas
• 1/4 c dried apricots
• 1/2 jar or so nutella

I tried something different this time, too.  Once I had all the dried ingredients, I ran it all through the food processor.  I was thinking mostly of breaking up the larger ingredients, like the almonds, but it pulverized everything.  Perhaps I should have just chopped those larger ingredients separately.  Oh well.  What's done is done.  I had my doubts that it would hold together.  But I pressed on.

I pressed 1/2 of the mixture into the oiled and papered 9x13 pan and then tried to spread the Nutella on it.  (It is pretty tricky to spread this stuff -- especially the old stuff I had on hand -- on pulverized grains.  You mostly just have to thin it out and move on without disturbing the rollie millet and quinoa too much.)  Then I spread the rest of the mixture on top of that.

I baked in a preheated oven at 350 degrees, for 25 minutes.  I waited 5 minutes for it to cool and then cut it.  Then I froze it immediately.  After a couple of hours in the freezer, I transferred it into a container to keep it dry, but put it back into the freezer.  I would take out a couple for work every day.

This bar is sickeningly sweet.  When adding the Nutella, don't add any brown sugar.  I'd say omit the honey too, but that helps hold it together.  Maybe Nutella is just a bad idea for a granola bar.

Notes to Myself

• If you are making a granola bar with a sweet substance like Nutella or Peanut Butter, omit the sugar, otherwise it is too sweet.
• The red quinoa makes an interesting part of the bar, if the other ingredients are pulverized.  It looks like a spice in the mixture.
• Don't pulverize everything, but instead just chop the the bigger pieces (almonds, etc. ) before adding to the mixture