This is a great recipe for a healthy granola bar without it being high in sugar. It is one of the healthy baking recipes we use for students and families to learn how to identify the difference between added sugars and natural sugars.
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Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Makes 12 bars
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of sweetened flaked coconut, divided
1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
½ cup of packed light brown sugar
¼ cup of granulated sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) of butter, cut into pieces, chilled
1 ½ cups of old-fashioned oats
1 cup of finely chopped strawberries
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spread ¾ cup of coconut evenly on a baking sheet and toast in middle of the oven, stirring once, until golden, about 8 minutes, then cool.
- Combine flour, sugars, and salt in a food processor, then add butter and blend until a dough begins to form. Transfer to a bowl and knead in oats and toasted coconut until combined well.
- Reserve ¾ cup of dough, then press the remainder evenly into bottom of a buttered 13- by 9-inch baking pan and spread the strawberries over it.
- Crumble reserved dough evenly over strawberries, then sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup (untoasted) coconut.
- Bake in the middle of the oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, then cool completely in the pan on a rack. Loosen from sides of pan with a sharp knife, then lift out in 1 piece and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars.
