This post has been sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever made your own granola bars? If you haven't, then this recipe for Homemade Pecan Granola Bars is a delicious place to start. Made from wholesome toasted oats, crunchy pecans, lightly sweet coconut, roasted pistachios and chunks of dark chocolate, these energy-packed bars are a great snack for everyone in the family. Plus, they are perfect for after school snacks, better-for-you dessert, and outdoor adventures.
Homemade Pecan Granola Bars
Family time with my youngest daughter has evolved over the years to this perfect blend of couch surfing, road trip adventures, to wilderness fun. One of our favorite things to do is drive and end up where the road takes us. I will drive, and at each stop sign, she tells me to turn left or to turn right.
We end up where we end up. (Remember the saying about Life is a Journey?)
There is one part of our gypsy adventures that never changes. Drinks and snacks. Traveling without yummy road snacks and drinks is a major no-no in our book. We picked up smartwater® and Coca-Cola® Mini Cans at our local Sam's Club for the best deal. Find your local Sam's Club store here.
I love the smartwater® bottles because of the easy flip-top and size. The Coca-Cola® Mini Cans are perfect for little sips of that classic refreshing taste my family loves.
For this weekend adventure, we made up a batch of these crunchy Homemade Pecan Granola Bars. A mix of sweet and salty, these granola bars are satisfying for even the hungriest adventurer.
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars:
- Preheat oven and lightly butter a baking pan or dish.
- Spread all of your "toastable" ingredients out in an even layer. What is toastable? Oats, nuts, coconut, seeds etc.
- Lightly roast the oats and nuts, stirring occasionally until warmed and slightly golden.
- Remove from the oven. Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl and stir in your "fun stuff". Think raisins, cranberries, and chocolate.
- Butter the pan again, only this time more generously.
- Melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a sauce pan until smooth and bubbly. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour the hot honey mixture over the dry ingredients and combine well.
- Press into the buttered pan, and bake.
- Cool for three hours and cut into squares.
Get the exact ingredients and measurements in the recipe at the end of this post.
This recipe for granola bars is so easy to make your own. Let your family get in on the action and pick out their favorite nuts and stir-ins. (My gal picked out some pistachios to go with my favorite pecans.)
We both agreed that dark chocolate chunks were the "fun stuff". (And I snuck in some nutritious additions like sunflower seeds and chia seeds, too.)
So where did we end up on this weekend's adventure? A little impromptu hiking trip through the woods.
We are VERY fortunate to live in such a beautiful area full of wildlife, creeks, and greenery. Anytime I can get my family unplugged and outside is a huge win in my book.
Even if I do have to lure them with the promise of delicious granola bars and refreshing beverages like smartwater® and Coca-Cola® Mini Cans.
Swing by your local Sam's Club before your next outdoor summertime adventure. They have everything your family needs to get outside for the season and make the most of your time together.
Try Sam's Club Scan and Go or In-Club Pick Up to make your life easier. (Less time in the store = more time on your weekend hiking adventure, right?) Just load your summer sips and snacks in your cart and swing by the store and save. That's what we did. I clicked everything I needed, and stopped by the store the night before our weekend outing.
More Weekend Adventure Tips + Ideas:
- Don't over plan. The more spontaneous, the better.
- Grab an assortment of drinks and snacks to keep your crew happy (smartwater® + Coca-Cola® Mini Cans from Sam's Club come highly recommended from yours truly).
- Stay local. You don't have to go far to have a great time.
- Get out of city limits!
- Take a road you have never been down.
- Pack great shoes in case you do a little hiking.
- Let your kids be the DJ on the drive. (This can be scary, but it leads to a lot of great conversation.)
- Start a new collection to remember your adventures (rocks, flowers, shells, etc).
- Keep a must-have kit in your car with essentials (first-aid, bug spray, flashlight, basic tools, spare change, blankets). Just in case.
- Heed all "no trespassing signs" and stay on public land. (I speak from personal experience.)
- Team Picnic!
- Bird watching. A ton of fun and it is free and educational.
- Fishing. Grab a day license and some worms and have at it.
- Backyard Tent. (Don't have a tent, make one out of sheets.)
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN!
And try our Homemade Pecan Granola Bars. 🙂
Love this granola bar recipe? Check these out:
Dark Chocolate Frozen Banana Pops
The Best No-Bake Cereal Bars
Sugar + Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Fresh Apple Oatmeal Muffins
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Pecan Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup pecans rough chopped
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup walnuts rough chopped
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 4 tablespoons salted butter divided
- ⅔ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using ½ tablespoon of the butter, grease a shallow baking sheet.
- Arrange the oatmeal, pecans, coconut, walnuts, pistachios and sunflower seeds in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, gently stirring halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.
- Transfer the toasted ingredients to a large bowl. Regrease the baking pan with ½ tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla paste.
- Toss the chia seeds in the bowl with the toasted mixture. Drizzle the butter and honey mixture over the granola and stir to combine well.
- Press the granola mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using a spatula, press the mixture into an even layer about ½ inch to ¾ inch thick.
- Sprinkle the dark chocolate chunks over the top and gently press them into the mixture.
- Bake the granola bars for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the baking pan on a wire rack and cool for 3 hours.
- Cut into squares.
- Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
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