Delicious Cherry & Date Chocolate Chip Homemade Granola Bars
If you are looking for a clean and healthy snack this recipe will quickly become a go to for you! This can easily be modified to be gluten free – just use gluten free oats or if you’d like it to be vegan eliminate the honey and use maple syrup instead. These bars can also be dairy free if you use dairy free chocolate chips which can be found at Trader Joe’s and many grocery stores. We keep a stash of these granola bars in the fridge and grab one each time we need a quick and easy snack that will satisfy our hunger. Makes 14 bars.
Supplies:
- Measuring cups
- Glass bowl
- Food processor
- 8×8 pan
- Parchment paper
- Spatula
- Large bowl
- Large cookie sheet
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of oats
- 8 pitted dates
- 1 cup of unsweetened cherries, divided
- 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1 cup roasted almonds
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Line your 8×8 pan with parchment paper leaving a little extra to hang over the sides. Set aside.
Step Three: Line your large cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper and spread the 2 cups of oats on top. Bake oats until golden brown, ~10 minutes. Let cool.
Step Four: Place 8 dates and 1/2 cup of cherries in a glass (or heat proof) bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit for 10 minutes.
Step Five: Place 1 cup of roasted almonds in the food processor and pulse until fine. Put the finely ground almonds in a large bowl along with the remaining 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/3 cup chocolate chips and baked oats. Set aside.
Step Six: Drain the cherries and dates and place them in the food processor, blend until smooth. Add the almond butter and honey (or maple syrup) to the mixture and blend.
Step Seven: Add the mixture from the food processor into the large bowl that has the almonds, cherries, chocolate chips, and oats and mix well until fully combined.
Step Eight: Put the mixture into the 8×8 pan, pat down until even and let set for ~ 1 hour in the fridge.
Step Nine: Using the parchment overhangs, transfer the granola bars to a cutting board and cut into ~14 bars. Enjoy!
Kristin
I was born and raised as a farm girl in the Midwest and have spent the past 20 years living in Australia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest working as a marine mammal biologist. I love spending time with family, gardening, being outside, and I enjoy making delicious meals for my friends and family. My beloved mama, Kelly passed away in late 2020 and this website is dedicated to her - she taught me to be a grateful heart and see the beauty that surrounds me in all that I do.
