Cooking With Amanda

Monday, June 1, 2015

No Bake Granola Bars

My girls love granola bars and we go through them like crazy. I wanted to try my hand at a homemade version so I came up with these little treasures.

I'm a coconut fiend, so naturally, they're full of coconut flavor, but without going over the top. If you're not a fan of coconut, you'll probably argue that I went over the top. But in my house, coconut is king and I say they're perfect.

I used my homemade coconut butter in these bars for that extra kick of coconut flavor. Coconut butter is like a nut butter, so if you don't have it and you don't want to make your own, you could always use another nut butter. I highly recommend trying to make it though, it's super easy if you have a food processor or high–speed blender – only one ingredient!

But with that, I'm going to go all Ina on you though and say, If you can't grow your own coconut tree and harvest your own organic non-gmo coconuts on a remote island, store-bought is fine. And I guess you can also say that about making your own granola bars too, ha! If you get a chance to check out Ina Garten store-bought-is-fine memes, do it. They're hilarious. Love her.

If you do make a batch of coconut butter and you're looking for other ways to use it, I used it in my chocolate coconut energy bites. They're another great no-bake coconut treat that are perfect for snacks.

The best part about these granola bars is that they're incredibly easy to make and you don't have to bake them since they harden up in the refrigerator. And they make a lot – 20 bars! So it's not a snack you're going to have to make every few days because lets face it, that gets a little old. The chocolate drizzle is completely optional but you absolutely can't go wrong with chocolate and coconut. It's the best combo ever in the history of ever-ever. Enjoy!

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No Bake Granola Bars Recipe

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Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup coconut butter
2/3 cup honey
2 1/2 cups certified gluten free oats
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions

Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil, coconut butter and honey. Whisk until combined and stir in the oats.
Press the oat mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Refrigerate until hardened, about two hours. When the granola is set, use the parchment paper to lift the granola bars from the pan. Slice into 20 bars.
If using the chocolate, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions. Drizzle or pipe the chocolate over the bars and refrigerate until set.
Store bars in the refrigerator.

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Frosted Chocolate Banana Scones

The first week of summer break is always rough. And by rough I really mean lazy. Our kids have been sleeping in really late after a whole school year of being up early. I have let them sleep until they wake up naturally for that first week. There were a few days they went to bed later, and we had to wake them up before it got too late in the morning. I have to admit the quiet time in the morning does help me get all my work done easier, so I may have let them sleep longer than necessary.

Now that they have all that sleeping-in out of their system, it's time to implement a summer schedule. We need to have a summer list of chores and fun activities for the week, so they do not ask for electronics all day long.

I also need to make a plan for having breakfast made and ready to get us started each morning. Scones and muffins are always an easy breakfast to have ready the night before. My brain just doesn't work first thing in the morning to follow a recipe and to work a hot stove, so I like to bake the day before.

We had a few ripe bananas on the counter, so I decided to take the recipe for these triple chocolate scones and these banana toffee scones and merge them into one delicious breakfast treat. My daughter loves when she wakes up and sees she can have chocolate for breakfast.

These chocolate scones really do not have much sugar in them. The sweetness comes from the ripe bananas in them. Ok, the mini chocolate chips and frosting add more sugar too. Those can be optional, just not in our house. I would hear about it if I left the chocolate chips out of these scones.

The dough will be sticky when you pat it onto the tray. Do not try to move the scones until they are completely baked. After they come out of the oven, cut through them right away and let them cool. Then frost them and store in a sealed container. If you have chocolate lovers in your house, they won't last long at all.

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Frosted Chocolate Banana Scones Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Scones:

1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cold
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Directions

Stir together the cinnamon, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the cold butter until you get coarse crumbs. Create a well in the center.
Add the buttermilk, banana, vanilla, and chocolate chips to the center of the flour mixture. Gently stir with a fork until a stiff dough forms.
Pat the dough into an 8 inch circle on a greased baking sheet or Silpat.
Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 8 even scones. Let cool.
Whisk together the frosting ingredients. Spread over the tops of the cooled scones.