These soft and chewy granola bars are a delicious, healthy and wholesome snack for adults and kids alike! They’re fast and easy to make, and can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Cut them into bite-sized pieces for a grab-and-go treat, anytime of the day.
You can use any mix of dried fruit, nuts, or flavored chips. This recipe yields a short and chewy bar, so if you like your nuts and seeds super crunchy, consider lightly toasting them first.
If you don’t keep dried fruit and nuts in bulk, use a trail mix pack. I had one of these on hand and it added a nice mix of color and texture. You’ll want about 2 cups of add-ins. It’s definitely worth keeping a few on these packages in your pantry because they also taste great when added to almost any Amish Friendship Bread variation.
Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl along with the mashed banana. Stir.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the starter, honey and vanilla. Mix well and then add to the dry ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.
Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan or casserole dish with parchment paper. Spray or grease the parchment paper and any exposed sides of the pan.
Spread the granola mixture in the pan, pressing down with a spatula so it’s evenly distributed.
Bake at 350° F (177° C) for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown around the edges. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes then use the parchment paper to transfer to a wire rack for another 40 minutes or until completely cool.
Cut into bars or squares and store in an air-tight container. Separate layers with fresh parchment paper. They refrigerate and freeze well, so you can also pack them in individual baggies and toss them into lunchboxes in the morning!
Amish Friendship Bread Granola Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup dried dates or figs chopped
- ½ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Line a 8″ x 8” casserole dish or baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray or grease the parchment paper and any exposed sides of the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including the banana until well mixed.
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine starter, honey, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Spread the mixture into prepared pan and press with spatula or back of wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown around the edges.
- Cool on wire rack for 30-45 minutes. Cut into bars or squares and store in an air-tight container, separating layers with fresh parchment paper.
- ENJOY!
>> Have you tried this? Share your best pic with us or leave a comment below and let us know how it worked for you!
Very nice Blog, thanks for the recipes.
Is there anything I can substitute for the mashed banana? Have an allergy to them, but all the rest of the ingredients look fine and sound yummy!
You can use a 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of the mashed banana, Carole! Happy baking!
I’m allergic to bananas, is there something I could use instead?
Hi Carol! One possible substitute for the banana is applesauce. You can substitute 1 banana for 1/2 cup of applesauce. It will change the flavor profile somewhat, but it still should be delicious! Let us know how it goes if you end up making these!
These bars are fantastic! I have made them both as per the recipe and also using candied orange peel and sliced almonds as a substitute for walnuts and chocolate chips. So easy to vary and provides a satisfying snack. I many times double the recipe in a 9 x 13 pan to use up both starter and bananas. Love all the versatile recipes available for the starter.
So glad they turned out for you, Wendy! That sounds delicious with the candied orange peels. Thanks for sharing!
These are very chewy and sticky, but they are delicious. They keep well in the refrigerator. As an endorsement, my two-year-old granddaughter says “I WUV these bars!”
So glad you (and your granddaughter) enjoyed them, Nancy!
Handy recipe. Made these to take with use when we were about to leave on a trip and it was time to bake with my starter. Obviously versatile. Didn’t have all the specific ingredients, but used a whole-grain/rolled oats cereal mix, dried cranberries, golden raisins, pecans, almonds, coconut, chocolate chips, dried figs, etc. No banana, so substituted 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. Worked great. These would be good with pistachios and white chocolate chips, I bet. I think anything that pops into your head would be good in these; just keep the proportions the same.
I was very happy with these. They were soft and delicious. I used a mixture of molasses and honey and a random mix of dried fruit I had on hand. It made a lot so I cut them into diamonds just for fun and stored them in the freezer in a gallon size ziplock bag. When we wanted some, we pulled them out and they thawed in minutes. They stayed a bit sticky but the flavor was delightful.