Florida Orange Juice Chewy Granola Bar
Cooking Time: 40 min
Total Time: 1 hour
Need a quick and nutritious breakfast or snack recipe for those busy weekdays? Try our Florida Orange Juice Chewy Granola Bar that your kids can quickly grab in the morning as they head out the door. Pairing Florida OJ with nutritious ingredients, such as flax seeds, this recipe provides your kids with heart-healthy nutrients like omega-3’s, fiber and antioxidants. Oh, and did we mention — it’s gluten-free!
Ingredients
½ cup Florida Orange Juice
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups puffed rice
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup flax seed
½ cup chopped dates
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 egg, beaten well
Non-stick canola spray
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a 13 x 9 inch cake pan lightly with non-stick spray. Line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper, creating a sling to make granola easier to remove. Set aside.
3. Spread oats, puffed rice, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Decrease oven heat to 325° F.
5. Place Florida Orange Juice, dates, cranberries, apricots, brown sugar, honey, salt, and ginger into a medium saucepan.
6. Set over medium high heat and stir to break up the clumps of dates. Cook until the sugar dissolves.
7. Remove from heat, pour over the dry granola and stir to combine.
8. Add the beaten egg and stir to combine.
9. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and press evenly into the pan using a rubber spatula.
10. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles.
12. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.