Since this is a cousin to Rice Krispies® Treats, this is an easy recipe. Instead of melted marshmallows, you will cook a syrup with brown sugar and corn syrup but the concept is the same.

To make this recipe, you can use commercial granola or make your own granola from a recipe.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-6 cups of granola

Directions

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

1. Add the granola to large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a pan on the stovetop, bring the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar to a boil. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Immediately stir the hot syrup into granola. Continue stirring until the granola is well coated.
4. Turn the granola and syrup mixture into the buttered baking pan. Lay a sheet of waxed paper over the granola and use the palms of your hands to firmly press down the granola, compacting the granola into a uniform brick.
5. Bake for 5 minutes (see note). Let cool and cut into squares. They are easier to cut if still just a little warm but don’t try to remove them from the pan until completely cooled. For the best results, use a sharp serrated knife when cutting.

Baker’s notes: When first put into the baking pan, the granola has a sticky consistency much like Rice Krispies Treats. The slow bake firms and dries the granola. We baked our batches anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. At the shorter time, the granola bars will be softer and at the longer, drier and harder. We liked it at 5 minutes with softer bars.