I like to set the mood with music when I bake. Mostly it's some vintage Patsy Cline/Kitty Wells station or a throwback 90's hip hop vibe, but sometimes I want to rock a yacht. Since I was making a recipe that required 6 cups of rolled oats, the AM Gold fangirl inside of me longed for Hall & Oates, naturally. I fed the Songza search with H&O and it returned the favor by instantly playing me "Rich Girl" setting a golden tone of super hits with a station called Ron Burgundy's Bachelor Pad. It stayed classy all afternoon.
A friend recently returned from a trip to NH with a fine bottle of Grade A Medium Amber. Having been gifted with 8.45 ounces of New Hampshire's King of Maple Syrup, a product of yankee pride, I had to take it to pleasure town. I mean, this syrup is kind of a big deal. So, I hauled out a bag of oats, combined them with some gently toasted nuts, exotic spices, and the rich mahogany colored syrup. The end result, a classy bar of AM Gold proportions.
Watch out boy, you'll chew these up.
Recipe
Maple Nut Granola Bars
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 32
Description
These golden granola bars are kind of a big deal; combining textured oats, aromatic nuts and rich mahogany colored maple syrup. Best enjoyed with some AM Gold tunes and a warm cup of black coffee. Stay classy, my friends.
Ingredients
- rolled oats - 6 cups
- pecans - 1 cup
- sliced almonds - 1 cup
- walnuts - 1 cup
- brown sugar (lightly packed - 1 cup)
- pure maple syrup - ¾ cup
- honey - ¼ cup
- unsalted butter - ½ cup (1 stick)
- flax seeds - ⅓ cup
- cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- nutmeg - ½ teaspoon
- pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Lightly toast the nuts for 8-10 minutes.
- Mix together the cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl. Melt the stick of butter on low heat in a small saucepan.
- In a large bowl, toss the oats with the melted butter and spice mix. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don't burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to 325°.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, and honey. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined and the sugar has melted. Stir in the vanilla.
- Toss together the toasted oats, nuts and flax seeds. Slowly pour in the warm syrup mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss the mixture to fully incorporate the syrup.
- Line 1 baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly press the mixture into the pan. Cover the pan with another sheet of parchment paper and use it to smooth out the mixture. Once even and smooth, remove the top sheet.
- Bake the pan for about 20-25 minutes, until the granola is aromatic and deep gold in color. Rotate the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, this may take up to 60 minutes.
- Using the edges of the parchment, lift the entire sheet of granola from the pan. Cut 8 strips length wise by 4 strips wide.
- Enjoy the sweetness and stay classy.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Maddie says
If I wanted to convert this to just a regular ol' loose granola recipe, would I increase the oats/ decrease the honey? I made these before but I'd much rather like it in my yogurt!
Becky Sue says
HI Maddie,
Yum this would be a delish granola to mix with yogurt, great idea! I think the recipe would translate straight into a granola recipe but you'd just spread the mixture over the baking sheets and wouldn't press the mixture into the pan. I'd probably stir the the granola at least once halfway through the bake time. I am sure it would work if you decreased the liquids a bit too. Let me know how it turns out!
-becky