Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars

Dear reader,

Another recipe completely influenced by my sweet tooth. To put it simply, chocolate covered cherry is a way of life. These chocolate cherry granola bars have a soft, chewy base made with oats, nuts, and cherries, with a light sweetening by my good friend, maple syrup. As indulgent as they taste, I can assure you that these granola bars remain a perfectly adequate option for breakfast on the move, snacking, or dessert.

There’s something rather enchanting about the combination of dark sweet cherries, almond, and chocolate. Maybe it’s that classic amaretto essence shining through, or maybe it’s the brilliant balance of salty, tart, and sweet. Whatever it is, these are sure to make your cheeks pucker and your taste buds sing. Add peanut butter and oats to the mix, and it’s game over for me. Pair with a warm cup of tea, coffee, or a tall mug of Turmeric Spiced Hot Cocoa to compliment this treat.

Until next time,

Bridget

Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars

Made with oats, nuts, and cherries, and maple, these chocolate cherry granola bars are great for breakfast, snacking, or dessert.

Servings 8 people

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Equipment

• 1 Food Processor or Blender
• 1 9×9 or 10×7 inch baking dish, lined with parchment or baking mat

Ingredients

• ½ cup cashews, chopped I use roasted and salted
• 1 ½ cups frozen cherries, 200 grams
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ½ cup almond flour if you have almonds, blitz ½ cup in a blender until it reaches flour consistency
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cocoa or cacao powder
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 4 ounces (113 grams, or about ½ cup) dark chocolate I use Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Bar. You can typically find them in the baking aisle, see link in notes.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Add the cashews and the frozen cherries into the food processor and pulse them 15-20 times, until the mixture is coarsely ground.
• Add the oats, almond flour, and salt to the food processor. Pulse again, 10-15 times, until everything is well combined.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond extract.
• Transfer the mixture from the food processor into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until well combined.
• Transfer the granola batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top out evenly, and pressing all the way into corners using a spatula.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides.
• When the bars are nearly done baking, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 15-20 second increments, or over a double boiler.
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cherry granola bars, and top with a generous amount of flaky sea salt.  Allow the bars to set and chocolate to harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Slice into 8-10 bars. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer (they’ll stay good for several weeks).

Notes

Ingredients to make your life easier:

1. Dark Chocolate: Lily’s Baking Bar, found here.  

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked, Breakfast Bars, Nuts, Oats