Chewy Cherry Chocolate Granola Bars
Chewy homemade granola bars packed with oats, almonds, dried cherries and chocolate chips. No mystery ingredients — just a great lunchbox or trail snack.
Servings: 12 bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats large flake, not quick or instant
- 1 cup whole almonds
- ⅓ cup honey or corn syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp almond extract
- ⅔ cup dried cherries or cranberries
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey or corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Cook, stirring, until the brown sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes). Transfer the syrup to a large mixing bowl, stir in the vanilla and almond extracts, and cool to room temperature (if not properly cooled, the chocolate will melt).
- In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup of the large flake oats to a flour consistency. Add to the syrup along with the remaining oats, almonds, cherries and chocolate. Use your hands, moistened with water, to combine all the ingredients well. Press evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow the granola bars to cool completely in the pan, set on top of a wire cooling rack. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip in half to yield 12 bars.
Notes
Cool the syrup: Let it cool fully before adding the chocolate chips, or they'll melt and streak.
Oat flour binds: Pulsing some oats to flour helps hold the bars together so they don't crumble.
Press firmly: Wet your hands and press hard into the pan for compact, chewy bars.
Cool before cutting: Let them cool completely in the pan so they slice cleanly.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg