Homemade Raisin Bran Bars

Raisin Bran Bolt Bars

Ingredients: 

  • 2 1/2 cups raisins
  • 2 1/2 cups bran cereal (pellet shaped, not flakes)
  • 1 cup of old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts (I used walnuts)
  • 1/2 cup of nonfat dried milk powder (I omitted this)
  • 3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbs of vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. Line a 9 inch square pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Place raisins, cereal, oats, walnuts, milk powder, and cinnamon in a food processor. Process, using on/off pulses, until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Add the honey, eggs, oil, vanilla and salt. Process, using on/off pulses, until just combined.
  4. Transfer to prepared pan. Place piece of parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap (coated with nonstick cooking spray atop the bar mixture and use it to spread and flatten the mixture. Discard paper or plastic.
  5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the top appears dry.
  6. Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and cut into 12 bars. cool completely before pealing off liner (I don't own wire rack: cool off on the cutting board).

Bars keep 2 days room temperature, refrigerator one week, freezer 3 months

Nutritional Information: Calories 203,  Fat 3g (saturated 0.9g), Cholesterol 31mg,  Sodium 95mg,  Carbs 35.4g,  Fiber 6.7g,  Sugar 18.1g,  Protein 6.2g

Variations:

  • Cranberry Spice Bran Bars: use an equal amount of cranberries in place of the raisins. Replace cinnamon with equal amount of pumpkin pie spice,
  • Powered-UP Bran Bars: omit milk powder and reduce oats to 3/4 cup. Add 3/4 cup of sweetened vanilla whey protein.
  • Double Chocolate Bran Bars: use an equal amount of pitted soft dates in place of the raisins and reduce oats to 3/4 cup. Add 1/3 cups of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed). Omit the cinnamon. Sprinkle the bars with 1/2 cup of miniature semisweet chocolate chips before baking.

Bar tips:
Make gluten free by substituting an equal amount of plain rice bran (not rice bran cereal) for the wheat bran. No dry milk powder? No problem -  simply omit it.

- Anna Sherman