Granola Bars
Page 7: Granola Bar Mixes
This is Page 7 in a seven-section article. Click the black links below to visit other sections.
Article Index
Granola Bar Mixes
You can bake your own granola bars from scratch with these two boxed (or bagged) mixes.
Gerry’s Totable Oats
First ingredient: “organic whole oats and whole wheat pastry flour.” These bars contained plenty of currants, and they had a nice chewiness and grain presence. The delightful cinnamon flavor (neither too overpowering nor too faint) was “spot on,” as they say in the UK. However, the suggested 40 bars from a 13 by 9 pan yields unrealistically small servings. The bars were somewhat oily (they use 1 cup of oil per bag of mix). And one part of the directions, which called for making sure there were no lumps of brown sugar before proceeding, proved virtually impossible, though luckily that didn’t turn out to be a big issue.
The heads of this business are in the process of revising their instructions, including increasing bar size; they will also provide the option of substituting unsweetened applesauce for part of the oil. I would not hesitate to try this mix again with those changes. Per bar (40 bars from a 13 by 9 pan): 110 calories, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 11mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 1g fiber, 5g sugars, 3g protein. AmongFriendsBakingMixes.com
King Arthur Flour Cranberry Sunflower Granola Bar Mix
“12g or more whole grains per serving.” First ingredient: whole oats. I followed a suggested option by adding an additional 1-1/2 cups of dried fruit to the mix, so the nutrition information on the package was not applicable. You get to decide whether you want chewy or crunchy bars, a nice plus. I chose to make chewy bars, and they were indeed chewy, as well as slightly sweet, with an occasional crunch from a nut or sunflower seed.
While the bars were good overall, they didn’t have very much flavor; a little spice or citrus zest would have been very welcome, though neither is listed as an optional ingredient. I would try this mix again but would add a little cinnamon or lemon zest. KingArthurFlour.com
Thanks for joining me in this review of 42 granola bar brands. I hope you found something you like!
Go To The Article Index Above
| 
