Chewy Granola Bars with Almonds and Wild Blueberries

Note: To make oat flour, simply process quick rolled oats in a food processor or blender until finely ground.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Lightly spray with nonstick spray. 

In a medium to large bowl, stir oats, oat flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, dried blueberries, almonds, and coconut.

In a small bowl, whisk melted butter, peanut butter, honey, corn syrup, water, and almond extract. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, combining until mixture is evenly coated and crumbly. Spread in prepared pan, pressing mixture firmly into an even layer. I like to use the buttery side of the butter wrapper to press the mixture down. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bars are nicely browned around the edges. You definitely want to see some color at the edges, ensuring the bars are properly baked. The center will be a bit soft, but will set once cooled completely. Remove from oven and let bars cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

After cooling for 30 minutes, cut around the edge of the pan to loosen bars from pan, and lift up bars by pulling up on the overhanging parchment paper. Let bars rest again on cooling rack until completely cooled and set.

Using a serrated knife (I like to use a thick-bladed bread knife), cut bars into squares. It helps to use a slightly sawing motion to cut through the top crust of the bars, applying only light pressure while cutting. This will give you cleaner cuts. (I admit to not letting the pan of granola bars in my photos completely cool and set, which gave the bars a bit less of a clean look when cut than if I had waited!)

Store granola bars in a sealed container, in layers with parchment or wax paper in between. If I know the granola bars will not be entirely eaten within a few days, I like to store these in the refrigerator or freezer. The granola bars freeze very well—place in individual snack baggies, or freeze in a sealed container with layers of parchment or wax paper separating them. Frozen granola bars taste freshest when eaten within 1 month. Remove from freezer to thaw prior to eating. 

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally adapted from King Arthur.