Ingredients
- 2 cups raw nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, and/or blanched hazelnuts)
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats, divided
- 1¼ cups dried fruit (such as tart cherries, raisins, currants, dates, apricots, and/or blueberries)
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter (unsalted or low-salt)
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts and pumpkin seeds in a 13x9" baking pan and roast until darkened in color and toasty smelling, 10–12 minutes. Transfer nuts and seeds to a food processor and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Lightly oil 13x9" pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on both long sides. Lightly oil parchment.
- Add 1 cup oats to nut mixture in food processor and pulse until nuts are broken down to a sandy mixture and no whole oats remain. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Pulse any dried fruit larger than a raisin in food processor (no need to wipe out) until finely chopped, about the size of chocolate chips. Transfer to bowl with nut mixture. Add remaining 1 cup oats and stir to combine, breaking up any fruit that is stuck together. Add 3 Tbsp. oil and stir to coat. Add peanut butter, but don’t stir it in.
- Bring honey, salt, and vanilla to a boil in a medium saucepan (honey will bubble up) over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until honey is foaming vigorously and smells like caramel, about 3 minutes.
- Immediately pour honey syrup over peanut butter in reserved bowl (it will melt the peanut butter). Stir to combine, making sure to aggressively break up any clumps of nut butter.
- Stir egg white with a fork or whisk in a small bowl to liquefy. Add to oat mixture and stir until egg white is no longer visible.
- Transfer oat mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer. (Be sure to really compact the mixture into the pan—it helps to use the bottom of a heavy glass or metal measuring cup.)
- Bake granola bars until deep golden brown and no longer sticky or wet, 30-35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then lightly score into 16 long rectangles (1 cut lengthwise and 8 cuts crosswise will make bars that are about 6½x1"). Let cool completely in pan, then use parchment to hoist bars out onto a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut along marks to separate bars.
- Do Ahead: Bars can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
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