Looking for a quick breakfast with lots of staying power? My Cherry Almond Granola Bars will certainly do the trick. They’re packed with oats, nuts, seeds, wheat bran and dried fruit; full of fiber-rich with healthy doses of protein and prebiotics too. And they’re delicious! Chewy and slightly sweet with pops of tartness from the cherries. This is a bar that will be loved by the whole family.
To start, spread 2 cups of quick oats, ½ cup of finely chopped almonds and ½ cup of finely chopped walnuts onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toast the ingredients at 350 deg F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
While the oats and nuts toast, gently melt ⅓ cup of brown sugar and ⅔ cup of honey in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir until smooth and just starting to bubble around the edges. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract. Set aside.
Pour the toasted oats and nuts into a large bowl, then add ½ cup of wheat bran, ¼ cup of hemp hearts, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and 1 cup of chopped dried cherries. Mix the ingredients together, then pour in the honey/sugar mixture. Stir everything together until well incorporated. Pour the granola into an 8×8” pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over top of the granola and using your hands, pack the granola down firmly. Remove the top piece of parchment paper from the granola and toss.
Place the pan of granola into the oven and bake at 350 deg F for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Allow the granola to cool in the pan completely before removing and cutting the granola into 12 bars. Store the bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to one week. For longer storage, place the bars into a freezer bag and store in the freezer where they will last for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen granola bars to come up to room temperature before eating.
Cherry Almond Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- ½ cup finely chopped almonds
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ½ cup wheat bran
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup honey
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Spread the oats, almonds and walnuts onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toast the ingredients at 350° F for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
- While the oats and nuts toast, gently melt the brown sugar and honey in a thick-bottomed saucepan until smooth. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt and the vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside.
- Once toasted, pour the oats and nuts into a large bowl and add the wheat bran, hemp hearts, chia seeds and chopped dried cherries. Mix the ingredients together, then pour in the honey/sugar mixture. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
- Pour the granola into an 8x8” pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over top of the granola and using your hands, pack the granola down firmly. Remove the top piece of parchment paper from the granola and toss.
- Place the pan of granola into the oven and bake at 350° F for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Allow the granola to cool in the pan before removing and cutting the granola into 12 bars.
- Store the bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. For longer storage, put the bars into a freezer bag and store in the freezer where they will last for up to 3 months. Allow the frozen granola bars to come up to room temperature before eating.
