almond-honey power bar

for a while i've been looking for a granola bar that's jam-packed, but that also doesn't have any oil or butter....that also holds its shape. i found a recipe that has a really great flavor, but the bars just crumble into your hands.

i found this recipe at delish.com. the bars stay together and the flavor is good. the turbinado sugar, though...i'm not sure if it melted properly or what, but there's a little bit of a crunch from that. anyway, for right now it's a keeper. i'll probably tweak it with a few different dried fruits and things next time i make them.

• 1 cup(s) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup(s) slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup(s) sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon(s) flaxseeds, preferably golden
• 1 tablespoon(s) sesame seeds
• 1 cup(s) unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal (see Tips & Techniques)
• 1/3 cup(s) currants
• 1/3 cup(s) chopped dried apricots
• 1/3 cup(s) chopped golden raisins
• 1/4 cup(s) creamy almond butter (see Tips)
• 1/4 cup(s) turbinado sugar (see Tips)
• 1/4 cup(s) honey
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square pan with cooking spray.
2. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cereal, currants, apricots, and raisins; toss to combine.
3. Combine almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain. Transfer to the prepared pan. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer (wait until the mixture cools slightly if necessary). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes; cut into 8 bars.
   

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Tips & Techniques

Ingredient notes: For this recipe, we like unsweetened puffed multigrain cereal, such as Kashi's 7 Whole Grain Puffs. Almond butter can be found at natural-foods stores and large supermarkets, near the peanut butter. Turbinado sugar is steam-cleaned raw cane sugar. It's coarse-grained and light brown in color, with a slight molasses flavor. Find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets or at natural-foods stores.