Before we know it fall will be in full swing which means tons of pumpkins, soup, cozy sweaters, & our favorite, caramel apples. This recipe was inspired by the delicious treat as we were looking for a way to incorporate them into our breakfast routine. After one too many regular caramel apples for breakfast the guilt finally set in & this incredible recipe was born.
With were fortunate enough to find this apple granola cereal which made making these bars a breeze. However if you prefer not to order it you can use a combination of regular granola with dried apples to equal 2 cups in replacement. As for the other ingredients, most you can find in your cupboard: honey, salt, etc. One thing you might find interesting with this recipe is the vanilla syrup it calls for instead of vanilla extract. Since these are granola bars we wanted to make sure they would stick together. The syrup helps bind the bars together & is full of tons of flavor which is why the recipe only calls for a bit. It’s also useful for flavoring coffee, cakes, & pretty much anything else you’d use vanilla flavoring for!
- for the bars:
- 2 cups apple granola cereal (apple granola or a combination of granola & dried apples will work)
- ¾ cup honey roasted almond slices
- 6 dates, pitted
- ½ granny smith apple
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean simple syrup
- 1 tbsp caramel flavored topping
- for toppings:
- caramel flavored topping
- salt
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- in large mixing bowl combine cereal & almonds. Toss to combine.
- In food processor combine dates, syrup, honey, & apple. Puree until smooth.
- Toss in with cereal mixture & add caramel sauce. Toss until combined.
- Line casserole dish with parchment paper so some hangs over each side. Pour mixture into pan & using the excess parchment paper, press down until mixture is firmly stuck together & even.
- Place dish into oven for 22-25 minutes. Let cool completely. Drizzle with extra caramel. Sprinkle salt on top of caramel. Place in fridge for 4-6 hours.
- Cut, serve, & enjoy!
food processor
casserole dish (on the smaller size--ours was about 9x6 inches)
parchment paper
knife
P.S. we got to judge the incredible AOL Food Awards for 2016! Check out some incredible fall recipes & all the products we absolutely love this season: HERE!
These look delicious and healthy. I’ll have to try them out. Thanks for the recipe!
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
Thanks so much, Samantha!! You’ll love them! xo
They look so yummy! I love caramel so I need to try these! 🙂 xx
Oh then you would love these, Nevena!! Enjoy making them! xo
These are so good!! I didn’t have caramel and was too lazy to make, yet these were still bursting with flavor!! Highly recommend making them on a Sunday for the week!
Yayyyy!! Enjoy!