INGREDIENTS

1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced almonds
⅔ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup Fewster’s Farm Honey
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
A generous ¼ teaspoon of salt
1 cup crisp rice cereal, such as Rice Bubbles
¾ cup dried fruit, such as cranberries,
diced apricots, blueberries, currants, etc.

Makes 12 to 16 Granola Bars
Total Time: 35 minutes

Note: You can swap in your favorite nuts and seeds as long as you keep the proportions of dry to wet ingredients the same. You can also toss in some dried fruit.

METHOD

STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Spread the oats, walnuts and almonds onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 7 minutes. Add the coconut and toss well with a rubber spatula, then place back in the oven to cook for 4 to 5 minutes more. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want the coconut to turn golden but not burn.

STEP 2
In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk and bring to a rapid boil, then turn off the heat and set aside.

STEP 3
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 150°C. Combine the oat mixture, honey mixture, rice cereal, and dried fruit in a large bowl and toss well. (Reserve the aluminum foil).

STEP 4
Use the reserved foil to line a 22x28cm baking dish, then spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the granola bar mixture out into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly, patting down with a spatula. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

STEP 5
Turn out onto a cutting board, then use a large, sharp knife to cut into rectangles. Store the bars in a single layer in an airtight container, or wrap the bars individually in aluminum foil, for up to a week at room temperature.

Enjoy!