Snack

Jason's Granola Squares is for Snack.

Jason's Granola Squares takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Jason's Granola Squares takes 40 minutes to cook.

Jason's Granola Squares makes 16 servings.

The ingredients for Jason's Granola Squares are:

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
4 1/2 ounces raw chopped nuts and seeds, unsalted (I tend to use walnuts, pistachios, and pecans. Sunflower seeds are good, too.)
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
1 1/2 ounces flaxseed meal
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup (My personal taste is for darker wildflower honey)
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, if you can find it.)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Important to use Kosher, not table salt, since they have different volumes.)
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination. (I use blueberries, figs, cherries, and crystalized ginger.)

I've also been known to add a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses to the honey mix.

Here is how you make Jason's Granola Squares:

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Spread the oats, seeds, nuts, flaxseed, and wheat germ onto a cookie sheet or sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. (You might have to use your hands to mix the fruit in, if you pasted it in the food processor.) Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down with a smaller pan (spray the bottom with cooking spray), evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.I stick the nuts in a food processor and pulse for a while, until they're about half chunks and half powdered. Spreads the flavor more evenly. Ditto for the fruit, although it gets pretty gummy.Makes 16 squares.Number of Servings: 16Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LOEGAIRE.

The nutritional information for Jason's Granola Squares is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 16
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 212.7

• Total Fat: 7.9 g
• Cholesterol: 3.8 mg
• Sodium: 53.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 32.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g
• Protein: 5.4 g

The dietary needs meet for Jason's Granola Squares is Vegetarian