Cherry Almond Granola Bars
Servings: 12 servings
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.