This recipe is designed to distract the frozen taste buds of anyone who is still (un)fortunate enough to be enjoying the frigid cold of winter. So open wide and take a bite out of a warmer climate by tasting the sweet pineapple, toasted coconut and salty crunch of these macadamia nut granola bars. And while this simple, Hawaiian-inspired snack may be the closest some of us will get to above 30º degree temperatures, we can all enjoy the healthy kickback from the natural Agave Nectar sweetener. Bring on the bikinis.
Breakfast
Servings 12 granola bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 3/4 cup dried pineapple, medium chopped
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
- 1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
- 1/3 cup Agave Nectar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Spread the oats and coconut out on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stir, then bake an additional 5 minutes (watch the mixture as it toasts and stir an additional time if necessary to prevent burning).
- Remove the toasted oats and coconut and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the dried pineapple and macadamia nuts to the bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Line a glass baking dish with wax paper, then coat the wax paper with a thin layer of cooking spray.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, Agave Nectar, butter, pure vanilla extract and salt. Heat until ingredients are melted together.
- Pour the hot liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly coated.
- Press the mixture firmly into the baking dish.
- Let the granola mixture dry and harden for 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove the dried granola whole from the baking dish. Cut it in half length-wise, then cut each rectangular half into six bars.
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Nutrition
Calories: 290kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 128mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 115IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1.4mg
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I can’t get enough of these tasty bars! I’ve made two batches in less than a week.
Woohoo! Thrilled you’re enjoying the recipe, Tammy!
I have been making an assortment of healthy bars for my family and this is a great one for the collection! I substituted almonds for macadamia nuts but they are wonderful. Somewhat sweeter than lots of other bars, but very tasty for an afternoon snack treat. And no cooking required!
I wish I had seen this when I created my granola blogroll! This is one of the best and most creative granola recipes I’ve seen in a long time. And it’s perfect to shake off the winter blues.
Really looking forward to trying it–thank you for sharing!
Dan
Casual Kitchen
These looks fantastic! What a great idea.
If you wanted to help with the agave issue, I suggest adding some barley flour. It does a great job with absorption and adds a nice crunch.