Grandpas Fruit Bars Recipes

HOLIDAY FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press half of dough in bottom of pan.
• Spread pie filling over dough. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over filling.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth. If necessary, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over warm bars. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

GRANDMA'S FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• 1. Add baking soda to hot coffee. Set aside. Using a regular size cookie sheet, spray with Pam baking spray.
• 2. Cream sugar, shortening and eggs.
• 3. Add dry and liquid ingredients alternately.
• 4. Add raisins. You can substitute dates or candied fruit. Add nuts and blend well.
• 5. Bake at 350 degrees. Check with toothpick inserted in center. Cool completely. Frost when cool with confectioners frosting.
• 6. Optional - Cut up walnuts and sprinkle on top of frosting.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT GRANOLA BAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square pan with cooking spray. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds evenly on a large baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, stir one halfway through, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in puffed cereal, all the dried fruits until well mixed. Add almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Right away pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until all the dried spots are moistened. Arrange the mixture into the prepared square pan. Coat your hands lightly with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, at least half an hour. Cut into bars; bigger or small, square or rectangular depend on your own interest.

FRUITY GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan or electric frying pan, combine sugar, butter, honey, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in oats, almonds, wheat germ, and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add fruits.
• Pour into a jelly roll pan lined with wax paper or parchment. Score deeply into bars of desired size. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Break along score lines. Store in an airtight container.

FRUIT AND NUT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease an 8x8 glass pan.
• Place nuts and oats on a baking sheet, and bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly toasted.
• While oats and nuts are toasting, place in a saucepan over medium heat the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
• Stir until the mixture bubbles, and keep it boiling and stirring for about 2 minutes.
• When oats and nuts come out of the oven, turn it down to 325.
• Take the pan off the heat, and when the oats are finished, pour them right into the saucepan and mix to combine honey mixture evenly.
• Stir in the chopped dried fruit.
• Press mixture into the glass pan with the back of a spoon - it will be pretty sticky.
• Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, and let cool completely before cutting.
• Wrapped in saran wrap, these will keep for at least a couple of weeks!

DRIED FRUIT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
• Toss the olatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir halfway through the baking time.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Place the butter, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
• Pour the oatmeal, almonds and coconut into a large bowl.
• Pour the melted butter/honey mixture over the oat mixture. Add the dates, figs, raisins and sunflower seeds and stir well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown.
• Cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.
• Place the cinnamon chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium for 45 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at medium an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.
• Using a knife or the back of a spoon, spread the melted cinnamon chips over each granola square. Place the squares onto parchment until set.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS (VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• *Note: See step-by-step photos above!
• Preheat the oven to 338°F/170°C (fan 302°F/150°C). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
• Add the oats, almonds, and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped, then transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
• Chop the dried goji berries and cranberries with a sharp knife. Then add to the oat nut mixture along with the chia seeds, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a saucepan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the nut butter (if using), salt, and vanilla extract to combine. Then pour it over the dry ingredients and mix everything well together. (If it's a bit too dry, you can add 1 or 2 tbsp of hot water).
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly into an even layer, using the bottom of another square baking dish (see photo above) or measuring cup or bowl. The firmer you press, the better the bars will stick together!
• Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven (or refrigerate until set for a no-bake option). If the top gets too brown during baking, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Then lift out of the baking pan using the parchment overhang and slice into bars using a sharp knife. (You can also cut the bars before chilling if that's easier for you. Just keep in mind that they get harder as they cool).
• Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

GRANDPA'S FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the raisins, dates and liqueur. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter or margarine, the two sugars, the whole egg, the egg white and the vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, if using, flour and baking soda until thoroughly blended. Add the nuts and the macerated fruit. The dough will be sticky.
• Using well-floured hands or the back of a spoon, press the dough into a foil-lined, 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan.
• Mix the yolk and the water. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the egg wash.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough is light golden. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into 1-by-2-inch bars.

CHEWY FRUIT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, oat flour, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in apricots, cherries, coconut, pecans and sunflower kernels; set aside., In another bowl, whisk together honey, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and water. Add the honey mixture to the fruit mixture; mix until crumbly. Pat into a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Cool in pan for 5 minutes., While still warm, cut into bars. Remove bars to a wire rack to cook completely. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container with parchment paper separating layers.

GRANOLA CEREAL BARS

Steps:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter and corn syrup; cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil, stirring once. Stir in the vanilla; add oats and cereal. Fold in chocolate chips. Press into a 9-in. square pan coated with cooking spray. Cool and cut into bars.