Granola Update: Houston, We Have a Bar!

Chunky oats packin' a punch

I am happy to report that, just as I suspected, the instant oats lent themselves to the most gloriously moist and thick granola bars. I started with the same mixture as before, adding a few more ingredients: dried cranberries and diced Macintosh apples.  Cooked at the same temperature and time, only this go around, I layered it in the pan at about  an inch thick, and what a difference! Dense and chewy on the inside with a nice golden crisp on the outside - just how I like my bars. They reminded me of my favorite muffin bars Quaker used to make (my 7:15am groggy high schooler's breakfast that have since been discontinued.) No fear; now I can make my own - and so can you. Cut them to whatever size you'd like and they make the perfect grab and go oat-meal! In fact, I had them as my breakfast this morning, reheated in the oven and dressed up with sliced banana, a sprinkle of extra cinnamon (I can never get enough), and some freshly sliced pear on the side (pictured below). An instant success. Ya done good, oats. Ya done good.

Gussied-up granola