Big Breakfast Bran Bars

Ingredients

a little oil

2/3 C. regular (whole rolled) oats – although I bet it would work if you have quick cooking

1 1/4 C. whole wheat flour

3/4 C. apple juice

1/4 C. wheat germ

1/4 C. oat bran (I’ve used wheat bran because that’s all I had – worked fine)

3/4 C. raisins

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 C. soft brown sugar

1 TBS molasses

1/2 C. sesame seeds

1 C. chopped mixed nuts (or just almonds, just walnuts, etc)

1/3 C. vegetable oil

(This is one of those recipes that just begs to be messed with.  Feel free to try adding and subtracting ingredients like honey, peanut butter, dried fruit, and chocolate chips.  And by all means, if you do experiment, let me know how it turns out!)

Method

Grease a 10×12 baking pan and line it with wax or parchment paper.  Or you can use a baking stone like I did.  Either way works. 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon (that’s what the original recipe says – you don’t have to use wood, for crying out loud).

Pour it into the prepared pan or onto the baking stone.  If you’re using a pan and want these to be “bars” you’ll need to push the mixture right into the corners.  Just avoid pushing it down too much to prevent making a concrete breakfast bar.  The same touch is required if you’re using a baking stone.

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown. 

Result

Cut into squares or rectangles while they’re still hot, but don’t attempt to remove them from the pan until they’re totally cool.  Store in the fridge in a sealed container or bag.