It’s the season for mint granola bars! I’ve been making granola bars for years now, and never once have I thought of making a minty Christmas version of my all-time favorite snack food until this year. My typical granola bar consists of peanut butter, honey and oats. But when making this minty magic, I didn’t even glance in the direction of the peanut butter jar. Peanut butter is just a more distinct nut butter and I didn’t think eharmony would call it a match. Either almond butter or cashew butter works best with this mint granola bar recipe. Because cashew and almond butters aren’t as prolific as peanut butter AND they are the incomparably more expensive nut butters, I usually make them in the Vitamix. A Blendtec would also work swimmingly (I used to have one).
I originally bought the mint chips for adding to festive trail mix and granola gifts. I don’t remember if it was Jonathan’s idea or mine to throw the mint chips into the granola bars, but it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that when they come out of the oven, you won’t want to hesitate to sink your teeth into one of these babies. They are oh oh so good!
A fabulous addition to these mint jewels is crushed candy cane. If you end up with lots of candy canes at the end of the holidays and are like me and don’t like plain candy canes but love the hint of mint, you can crush them and toss some candy cane dust in the batter. I also like adding crushed candy canes to my brownies.
Mint Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 4 cups old fashioned oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 cup almond butter or cashew butter (I make mine in my Vitamix)
- 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup for vegan
- 1/3-1/2 cup mint chips
- 2 Tablespoons crushed peppermints or candy canes, optional
- 1 Tablespoon each of hemp hearts, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
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Combine all ingredients VERY well in a bowl. Use an electric mixer if possible like a Kitchen Aid Mixer.
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Mash the granola bars into the pan well. I use a spatula in combination with a potato masher. This is the most important step to help them hold together well.
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Bake for 17 minutes or until the edges start browning.
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Cool for 10 minutes, and cut into bars.
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Store in a cool dry place for up to a month.
What are your favorite granola bar flavors? One of my favorites is the 5 Ingredient Quinoa Granola Bar.
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THESE ARE SO GOOD!
And it was DEFINITELY my idea to throw the mint chips in there.
Seriously, these are a fantastic Christmas treat (though they’d be good any other time of the year, too), even if they are more decadent than most of Sonja’s other granola bars.