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Sunday, July 15, 2012

homemade Island Oat Bar

In Vancouver, where there's a Starbucks on every corner, it's good to know the cheapest thing they sell - the Island Oat Bar, a simple but delicious and filling bar.  In Calgary it's simply the "Oat Bar", and everywhere else I've been it doesn't exist.




So for those of us who don't live in the West (or those of us who want to save some money and make it ourselves!) I present to you a recipe!  This is a very slightly modified version of this one. The best part is you can make it in under half an hour, and you don't have to turn the oven on (a big plus in the summertime).  You may consider the ingredients somewhat pricey, but when I consider how much I regularly spend on granola bars, it really isn't that bad.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

 3 cups oats
 1/2 tsp salt
 1 tsp. cinnamon
 1/3 cup butter
 1/4 cup maple syrup
 1/4 cup liquid honey
 1/4 cup water (optional - use for tender bar, use less or none at all for stiffer bar)
 1/4 cup brown sugar (or golden)
 1/2 tsp vanilla
 Optional additions: chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, dried fruit, shredded coconut, seeds, etc.


1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.




2. In a large non-stick pan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, add the honey, syrup, vanilla, water, and brown sugar. Mix and allow to bubble gently.

3. Add dry ingredients to pan and mix thoroughly. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.

4. Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Compress the mixture evenly using the back of a flat metal spatula.

5. Using a kitchen knife, score the top of the oat mixture into bar shapes to make cutting easier.

6. After the bars have cooled to warm, cut the bars through while still in the pan.7. Allow to cool thoroughly and enjoy

3 comments:

  1. Sadly, the Island Oat Bar doesn't exist in Vancouver Starbucks either anymore...:( They've replaced it with a generic "Oat Bar", upped the price to $1.25 (it used to be under a dollar!), and it's not as good. Alas. Oh well, I shall get to make yours instead!

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  2. that IS sad! Oh well, fortunately we can still enjoy homemade ones. :)

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  3. I found these too sweet and I added the water because I wanted to be soft enough for my daughter but I think the 1/4 cup was too much

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