National Granola Bar Day

Granola bars consist of granola pressed and baked into a bar shape, producing a convenient snack. The product is most popular in the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, parts of southern Europe, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, and Japan. Granola Bars has expanded its market into India and other Southeast Asian countries.

History.

The history of granola bars can be traced back to the 1860s when Dr. James Caleb Jackson invented granula, a baked mixture of graham flour. The granola bar was invented in the 1970s by Stanley Mason, who pressed loose granola into a bar shape. However, there is debate over who actually invented the granola bar.

Granula

• In 1863, Dr. James Caleb Jackson invented granula, a baked mixture of graham flour.
• Granula was marketed as a health food alongside cocaine and cigarettes.
• Granula was revived in the 1960s as an alternative to sugary cereals.

Granola bars

• Stanley Mason is credited with inventing the granola bar in the 1970s.
• However, Henry Kimball claims to have invented the granola bar in 1975.
• Granola bars are made by pressing granola into a bar shape and baking it.
• Granola bars are a popular snack for outdoor people and sports enthusiasts.

Recipe: Apricot-Sunflower Granola Bars

EatingWell
by Breana Lai Killeen, RDN

Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup crispy brown rice cereal
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots (1/4 inch)
½ cup unsalted pepitas toasted
½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds toasted
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup brown rice syrup or light corn syrup
½ cup sunflower seed butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra parchment hanging over two sides. Lightly coat the parchment with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, rice cereal, apricots, pepitas, sunflower seeds, and salt.
3. Combine rice syrup (or corn syrup), sunflower butter, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds (or heat in a saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute). Add to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and firmly press into the pan with the back of a spatula.
4. For chewier bars, bake until barely starting to color around the edge and still soft in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes. For crunchier bars, bake until golden brown around the edge and somewhat firm in the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. (Both will still be soft when warm and firm up as they cool.)
5. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then using the parchment to help you, lift out of the pan onto a cutting board (it will still be soft). Cut into 24 bars, then let cool completely without separating the bars for about 30 minutes more. Once cool, separate into bars.

Resources
1. Good Housekeeping, Healthy Granola Bars to Fuel Your Day