How to make muesli/granola bars crunchier?

How to make muesli/granola bars crunchier? - Tray of Cookies

I made a simple muesli bar yesterday, and being lazy, I just left it in the dehydrator for some 3-4 good hours or so. The mix is composed of the following ingredients:

  • Oats mix (the ones that are already a mix)
  • Wheat germ
  • A bit of chocolate whey protein (the kind bodybuilders use)
  • Unsalted whole peanuts

I just mixed them with honey and milk, spread them to even thickness (around 1 inch?) on top of a baking sheet, and put them in the food dehydrator for said 3-4 hours.

The taste turned out OK (it seems to have lost some sweetness from dehydration?) but it's not crunchy enough.

Would leaving it on the dehydrator (on the highest heat) longer do the trick for making it crunchy, or would I have to use the oven no matter what?



Best Answer

I would use the oven. The dehydrator will obviously remove water, but it won't toast the granola like an oven would.

You could always try super-dehydrating half a batch and ovening another.




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How do you get granola bars to stick together?

While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.

Why are my granola bars not sticking together?

If you measure the dry ingredients too generously the granola bars won't stick together because they won't be enough liquid ingredients to "glue" them together. Don't throw off the dry to wet ratio with heavy-handed measuring. Let the honey, butter, brown sugar mixture boil for one minute.

Why is my granola not crispy?

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

How do you make granola bars not crumble?

The bars haven't been chilled long enough. While hot or even warm, the bars will crumble into granola instead of a bar. Make sure the bars spend enough time in the fridge until they are completely firm.



How to make the best crunchy muesli bars




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