Apricot and Almond Granola Bars
Apricot and Almond Granola Bars are one of our favorite sweet treats. I start these bars by mixing together oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried apricots. Then, I stir them together with butter, sugar, and maple syrup. Next, I bake the bars until they’re nice and toasty. Finally, I dip them in semisweet chocolate. We like these bars for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make these granola bars in under one hour. And, for most of that time they’re in the oven. Secondly, I like that I can make these bars ahead of time. Then, I store them in an airtight container. Thirdly, I like that I can stir up these bars with a spoon. No mixer is needed. And, lastly, we all love the crunchy oats, apricots, and nuts, and the sweet chocolate coating.
The Equipment I Used
- A Baking Pan- Use an 8-inch square baking pan to bake the bars.
The Ingredients Needed for Apricot and Almond Granola Bars
- Butter- Use unsalted butter. I always use Kerry Gold Irish butter.
- Oats- Use old-fashioned not quick or instant or steel-cut oats. I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand of oats.
- Almonds- I like the Diamond brand of almonds.
- Sunflower Seeds- Use unsalted seeds.
- Apricots- Be sure to chop them up quite finely.
- Maple Syrup- Use pure maple syrup.
- Chocolate Chips- I like the Guittard brand chocolate chips. I used semisweet chocolate, but you could use milk or white chocolate chips, if you prefer.
How I Made my Bars
- First, I prebaked the oats, almonds, apricots, and sunflower seeds to toast them up a little. Take care to not burn them.
- Next, I melted together the butter, sugar, and maple syrup.
- Then, I mixed everything together in a big bowl and baked it in a baking dish.
- Finally, I dipped each bar in lots of melted chocolate.
If you like oats, you need to try these crunchy and chocolatey Apricot and Almond Granola Bars.
Apricot and Almond Granola Bars
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup dried apricots, cut in quarter inch pieces
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar, not packed (70g)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with paper. Allow some parchment paper to hang over the sides.
- On a large baking sheet, spread out: the oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and apricots. Bake for ten minutes.
- While the oat mixture bakes, prepare the butter and syrup binder: In a three-quart saucepan, mix together the butter, salt, sugar and maple syrup. Cook and stir on low heat just until butter is melted, and everything is combined. Pour this into a large bowl. When the oat mixture is done, add it to the bowl, too. Stir everything together and then press it evenly into the baking dish.
- Bake the bars for thirty minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Then, using the parchment paper handles, remove the bars to the rack to cool completely. Cut into 12 bars.
- Make the Chocolate Topping: Place the chips and shortening in a small bowl and microwave for ten seconds. Stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the bars into the chocolate and let the chocolate harden before serving.
