Friday, June 20, 2014

Key Lime Greek Yogurt Granola Bars





Remember the old commercial- E.F. Hutton ? It was in the 70's. One guys said " my broker is E. F. Hutton " and all the people around the conversation would stop and people would listen. That's what I do when Carol posts recipes. 

Carol loves watching "The Chew". She emailed the recipe to me and like I always do, I save it to a "safe" spot. 

Can I find the original recipe she sent? No, but I have two reviews of other yogurt bars she made. Here is recipe for the strawberry yogurt granola bars. Her photos are fantastic!

I wanted to make Key Lime. I saw Key Lime Greek Yogurt and  I bought a few containers and all I needed was Key Lime extract.

That didn't work out. I searched and didn't find it but did buy a bottle of lime extract which worked.

I wanted added flavor and added the zest of one lime.

As many of you know, Gabe isn't big into sweets. Bread, now we are singing his song but anything sweet he will try one but won't go back. It's not because he doesn't like it, he just doesn't have a sweet tooth. 

I liked the bars but they are no overly sweet. I brought two to a friend and she gobbled one down.  When I cut Gabe one, I wondered, is he gonna like this?

He loved them! Finally found a dessert that he will eat!!!!!!!

You can make any flavor. Carol made Strawberry, Peach and Raspberry .
Angela made Blueberry. I also have caramel greek yogurt which I bet would be delicious.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 c. oats, quick cooking or old fashioned (do not use steel cut oats)
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. pecans ( I didn't use- added 1/4 cup more of the oats)

Filling:
2 (8 oz. each) pkg. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. honey
Pinch of kosher salt
2 large eggs 
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. Lime extract
zest of one lime
2 (5.3 oz. each) containers Key Lime Greek yogurt
2 drops Green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.  I use a wet paper towel to moisten the bottom of the 8 X 8 pan. Cut the parchment paper and criss cross it over the 8 x 8 pan so the paper overlaps. Press the first sheet in and make sure there isn't any wrinkles. Do the same thing with the second sheet. Set the dish aside for later.

For the crust-

 Place the oats, honey, flour, salt, butter, cinnamon and pecans ( if you use pecans) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse until the mixture is smooth and everything is moistened.  Press the mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake  at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is slightly light golden brown. It should feel a little firm in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

For the filling-

 In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, honey and salt until smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl often.  Beat in the vanilla and the lime extract.  Add the yogurt and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Sprinkled the zest into the ingredients and made sure  was completely blended. If you want to add the food coloring add it now and make sure it's mixed in well.

Spread the yogurt mixture over the crust.

Put the pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the filling feels set when lightly pressed in the center.

 Remove from the  oven and allow the bars to  cool completely in the pan.  Cover and refrigerate the bars for at least 4 hours or overnight.


Use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan.( easy since you criss crossed the paper to get them out)

  Peel the paper away from the sides of the bars and cut into squares. 

 Refrigerate any leftovers.

  Makes 12-16 squares



65 comments:

  1. Holy COW do those look good. Linda! Also good to know that you can add some extra oats rather than pecans in the crust. My pecan stash is getting low after making these 4 times-yeah I did. I'm getting more ideas the more I make them. That could spell trouble.....

    Glad Gabe liked them too.....I know he's not much of a dessert eater. The draw for us with these is they're not really sweet....but SO good. Just as good as cheesecake. :)

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  2. That's what he said Carol! He asked me this morning after checking the blog what flavor I was gonna make next! This from a man who does NOT eat dessert.

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  3. OMG, these look heavenly. I must make these. Carol, you keep sharing these recipes. I must share these, they sound like they will be the next must haves. And, if Gabe liked them, this is another big mark in it's favor. Thank you Linda and Carol

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    1. Myra- did you see Carol's pictures! She also made raspberry bars-http://www.pinterest.com/pin/51509989462832602/ and this weekend she made peach. Angela made blueberry which I bet was good!

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    2. No I didn't see Carol's pictures, but I am going to go and look.......I don't go on pinterest.com much, but I guess I will start now.

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    3. Myra- here's the link to her pinterest page with recipes she has made

      http://www.pinterest.com/ceegee1229/food-recipes-i-ve-made-loved-and-photographed/

      Delete
  4. I must find key lime greek yogurt!! I love key lime and I love that you added salt to balance the flavors!! Another great recipe!!

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    1. Elizabeth- I love Key Lime also. I bought a few containers of Stonyfield yogurt. The chocolate would of been so good! Will make that or the caramel next time,

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  5. Yum, yum, yum!! I love that key lime greek yogurt and I can't wait to try this recipe. I would love it if you linked this up to my Motivate Me Monday linky party at IT'S A ginger SNAP.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the invitation! Hope you enjoy them as much as my hubby did.

      Delete
  6. I wish I had the ingredients on hand to make some of these delicious bars. The blueberry ones were excellent. I'm thinking I will do lemon next time. My gang loves anything lemon.

    As for the pecans, I substituted walnuts since that is all I had. Also because I only had hard honey I used brown sugar which worked very well.

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    1. Thanks Angela- good to know that you can use brown sugar.

      I know I'll be making these again soon!

      Carol made peach bars, I can't wait to see what they look like.

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  7. These look delicious! Pinned!

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    Replies
    1. Blair-these are so good! Hope you enjoy them also.

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  8. Replies
    1. Dottie, I think you are going to like this.

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  9. What a great looking recipe! I love the combination of these ingredients and yogurt is a staple in my diet. So glad to find your lovely blog. Saw your link at Get Him Fed and popped over. Thanks for a great recipe.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Robyn- I love Greek Yogurt and it's a staple in my home also.

      I hope you come back and visit often, thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  10. Oh yum...this recipe is a keeper....pinned and thank you.

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    1. Thanks Kathi for stopping by. Hope you enjoy it.

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  11. Please forgive me, please, please for being "that person" but as a native of Miami who has spent A LOT of time in the Florida Keys, key lime is never green. It's always yellow and most Floridians will kind of turn up their noses if they see something that says "Key Lime" and it's green. Try buying key-limes or KEY lime extract for a more authentic take on the recipe. Thanks for indulging me. I followed you over from SITSsharefest (because I LOVE Key Lime). - Heather, Life of a Traveling Navy Wife

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    1. Hi Heather- I did try to find the key lime extract in my local area. Amazon had it but it cost more to ship one bottle then what the extract actually cost! I found the lime extract after many visits to different stores and went with that only because I knew I would never find the Key Lime.
      The color- I realize key lime isn't green and I wanted it to be the color of the yogurt but a few to many drops went in the batter. Did it deter from the taste? Not one bit. Like Kermit said- It's not easy being green!
      I live on Long Island and local stores do not carry key limes. I think I saw one bag years ago and now I don't bother to look because I know they don't carry them. When we are in Florida I don't have to think about getting them. I made this-http://bestoflongislandandcentralflorida.blogspot.com/2014/03/leda-rogers-favorite-key-lime-cookies.html and juiced those little beauties
      It's a really good recipe and hope you try it..

      Delete
  12. these look to die for! Pinning these as a must try recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
    Stopping by from the sittsgirls share fest!!
    Jessica from www.sparklesandglue.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jessica- Love the sittsgirls share fest! Hope you enjoy the recipe.

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  13. As usual, great photo Linda. I need to make these soon.

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    1. Hey there Cyndy- don't you love Carols photos? Wow, they are fantastic!

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  14. These look so good! Pinning to make for my mom when she visits next.

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    1. Hi Lana- I hope you mom like these. I know my hubby sure did! Thanks for stopping by

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  15. I am so going to make this! Saving it to favorites!

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    Replies
    1. I going to make them again but use caramel Greek yogurt- yum! Hope you enjoy them!

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  16. These look absolutely delicious

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    1. They are! My hubby who never eats desserts just about inhaled these- LOL!

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  17. So happy to see you with us again at The Yuck Stops Here link party this week! These look yummy! I do hate it when you put something in a very "safe" place and can never find it again! Can't wait to see what you bring to the party next week! HUGS

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    1. Hi Cheryl- I enjoy your party and again thank you so much for hosting,you WILL see me again!
      Thanks for stopping by,
      Linda

      Delete
  18. I have a sweet tooth and think these would be dangerous! I like that they are versatile--so many flavor possibilities. Confession: I don't know your Carol, but I had to go snoop at her pictures. My gosh! I want to gobble those bars up.
    Thank you for stopping in, Linda. Hope you have a nice week.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Michelle- the bars aren't overly sweet, that's why Gabe loved them. I had my fair share but he really enjoyed them.

      Carol and her husband take fantastic photos and her recipes are always something I want to make. She also writes a wonderful review of the recipe. She has guest posted on Barbara Bakes and she also did a few guest post for me. If you want to see her recipes check out her pinterest page-
      http://www.pinterest.com/ceegee1229/food-recipes-i-ve-made-loved-and-photographed/

      Delete
  19. These sound delish!! I adore key lime in the summer (actually anytime)!

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    1. Thanks Madaline, hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

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  20. I just love Key Lime and your Key Lime Greek Yogurt Granola Bars look delicious! Your place at our table is very special and thanks so much for sharing your wonderful food with all of us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a fantastic week and come back real soon!
    Miz Helen

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  21. Thanks for sharing at The Weekend Social, I'm looking forward to seeing you again next Thursday at 9pm EST at www.thequestionablehomesteader.com for another installment of The Weekend Social.

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    1. You bet I will be back and thank you for hosting!

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  22. Oh these sound very yummy! Always nice to find a dessert that hubby will eat. Thanks for sharing them with SYC. Pinning.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  23. These sound so yummy! I'm pinning this and going looking for flavoured greek yoghurt - I've never seen it before.
    Thanks for the recipe. :)
    Sheree

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  24. OOoooo yummy! I just found out recently that I like Key Lime Pie and this looks like it would be very good too. I am glad you stopped by and shared this week. May I make a suggestion. I am trying to limit Throwback Thursday to posts from the same week (or month) from previous years. I am not sure if you were unaware of this, or don't have older posts, but I would like to invite you to also stop by and share on my recipe linky, Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen which goes live on Fridays. I can't wait to see more of your recipes.

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  25. KewKew- SO sorry! Delete the post! My blog is a little over a year old. I'm new to the whole blog/party thing. Could you send me a link to your party on Friday?
    Again, I'm so sorry I messes up.
    Linda

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  26. What a great way to use key limes and to create a treat that's a little different than your usual Key Lime Pie! I love key limes, and I cannot wait to make these gorgeous granola bars!

    Also, this was one of my favorite links shared during last week's That's Fresh Friday Link-Up! I'll be sharing it at my site tonight as a feature, and I hope to see you participating again this week! Thanks for sharing, and keep up the great work!

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    1. Thanks so much for the feature. I'm always SO happy when a recipe is featured. I don't have any grandchildren to bake for and our son works offshore. It's just me and my hubby and Max ( our Lab). When I share recipes I feel like I'm enjoying them with friends I never met.

      Thanks Erin- I'm still so new to blogging and what to do in the computer that at times I feel like I don't know if I'm coming or going.

      I'll be back next friday for sure.

      Thanks
      Linda

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  27. I love the colour of this, we don't have key limes here but I can imagine normal limes would taste great in these bars. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas

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    1. I really didn't want it to be so green. I squeezed a drop in but that drop was bigger than I thought it would be. I like the picture and it sure didn't make any difference in the taste- which was excellent.

      I was at the party already and thanks again for hosting.

      See you again next Sunday

      Linda.

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  28. I love key lime!! It is one of my favorites! These look delish! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Elizabeth- this recipe is a winner. Hope you enjoy them.

      Linda

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  29. This looks like a yummy dessert! Thank you for sharing on the HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you again tomorrow! - Nancy xThe Home Acre Hop

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    1. It's so good- I found a caramel greek yogurt which I plan to make next. Hope you like it.

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  30. Oh my gosh, that looks absolutely mouth watering. Thanks for sharing, and have a great weekend.

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    1. So happy I got to share this with you. It's really good. Hope you enjoy it.

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  31. That looks and sounds like a delicious treat. My husband doesn't have a sweet tooth either and I have a mouth of them, but he likes key lime desserts. I'll have to give this a try!

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    1. Carlee- I added to much green food coloring. Key lime isn't so "green". Sometimes my old fingers don't work on those little tubes!

      Hope you like it.

      Delete
  32. These bars look so tasty!! Just wanted to stop by & say hi from #FoodieFriDIY and to let you know I'll be sharing your recipes as a feature this week! Stop back and link up again, we’ll be live tonight! Off now to do some sharing! :D

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  33. OK.. I'm in! I'll be right over for a taste! Thank you for sharing your amazing ideas with us! Especially this one for our Back to School link up at #Celebrate365

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    1. Let me know what flavor you want and I'll have it ready for you!

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  34. Mmmmm! These look great! My husband also doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he does like key lime treats. My guess is he'll love these!

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