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Magic Granola Bars, Two Ways
- by S R
Wholefoods Recipe
Magic Granola Bars, Two Ways
One easy, press-and-bake base, and two different bars depending on which granola you reach for. No mixer, no fuss, just a tin and twenty minutes in the oven.
These bars borrow a simple, decades-old trick, a biscuit base, a layer of condensed milk to hold everything together, and a generous scattering on top that bakes into chewy, golden bars. Instead of a mixed bag of chocolate chips and nuts, the whole topping comes from a bag of granola, which already does that job for you. Pick a granola, and you've picked your bar.
The Base
This part stays exactly the same whichever version you make.
- 200g digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
- 100g butter, melted
- 397g tin condensed milk
Pick Your Granola
Tropical Fruits Granola Bars
- 300g Tropical Fruits Granola
- 30g desiccated or flaked coconut
- Zest of 1 lime
Bakes slightly faster, keep an eye from the 18-minute mark, the coconut can catch before the rest is fully golden.
Raisin, Almond & Honey Granola Bars
- 300g Raisin, Almond and Honey Granola
- 50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp honey, extra for drizzling
Sturdier and holds together well, this version is the easier of the two to cut into neat bars once fully cooled.
Method
- Prep the tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20x20cm baking tin with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides to lift the bars out later.
- Build the base. Mix the crushed digestives with the melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the tin.
- Add the condensed milk. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the biscuit base, right to the edges.
- Layer your topping. Scatter your chosen granola evenly over the milk, along with the coconut and lime zest for Version A, or the chocolate for Version B. Press down gently so it sits in the milk rather than sitting loose on top.
- Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, tenting loosely with foil after 15 minutes if the top is browning faster than the middle is setting. Granola has already been baked once, so it colours quickly.
- Cool and slice. Leave to cool completely in the tin, this is what lets the bars set enough to cut cleanly. Lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars. For Version B, finish with an extra drizzle of honey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both granolas at once instead of choosing one?
Yes, a 50/50 mix of the two works well if you'd rather not commit to one version, just keep the total topping weight the same at around 300g plus mix-ins.
Why do I need to cool the bars completely before cutting?
The condensed milk layer needs time to firm up as it cools. Cutting while warm will give you a gooey, uneven bar rather than a clean slice.
Can I make these without the biscuit base?
The base is what holds the bars together and gives them a proper bottom layer, so it's not really optional, but you could swap digestives for any similar plain biscuit you have on hand.
Same easy base, two completely different bars, pick whichever granola you've already got open in the cupboard.
Shop granola at Maven Wholefoods.
- Posted in:
- breakfast recipe
- energy bars
- Granola
- Raisin Almond and honey granola
- Tropical Fruits Granola
