Chewy Oatmeal Bars with Tangy Dried Cherries
This is as good as healthy snacking gets!
What should you eat when you’re craving something sweet, but then again, you want something savory, but you don’t want to blow your healthy eating streak?
Chewy cherry walnut oatmeal bars, that’s what.
You guys, I’ve been trying to come up with grab n’ go snacks that will keep me fueled and energized. I’m training for the 2016 Chicago Marathon and I have to up my game when it comes to eating complex carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle, and delicious flavor and texture to keep me sane.
I’m eating more than ever because I’m burning more calories, but a girl can only eat so many Buddha bowls and salads in a day. Besides, it takes time to create a meal, and there are moments when I don’t have time to tie my shoes, much less chop and toss. That’s where these lovely little chewy granola bars with walnuts and cherries swoop in to save the day.
Yep, I said it, these are chewy, not hard. They won’t break your teeth. You’re welcome.
One of the things I don’t like about most store bought granola bars is that they’re HARD. It takes serious jaw power to bite a piece off of some pre-packaged bars. Another thing that I don’t like is how they crumble and make a mess. I want the ingredients in my mouth, not on the floor or my lap. And finally, I don’t need the excessive amounts of oil and sugar that goes in to some of those processed bars. No thank you. I’ll pass.
Do you feel the same way? I’m going to guess that you do. That’s why I’m sharing this chewy cherry-walnut oatmeal energy bar recipe with you. I like you, and I want you to be able to enjoy a healthy, satisfying, and tasty snack. That’s what friends are for. ♥
These are super easy to make and they’re oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free! Yay! Yay! Yay!
If you have a food processor
and an oven, you can whip these up in about 30 minutes. Let’s do it!
How to Make Chewy Cherry-Walnut Oatmeal Bars in Just Thirty Minutes
First you’re going to put the cherries and the walnuts in the processor and pulse until they're coarsely chopped. Remove them and put in a large bowl.
Next, put one cup of oats into the processor and turn it into flour, then add the dates, flax egg, salt, vanilla, and Sunbutter Sunflower Spread
(or nut butter if you prefer) and process until it forms a ball.
Finally, transfer the mixture to the large bowl with the cherries
and walnuts
and stir in the whole oats and the water and stir with a large spoon until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Now spread the granola bar mixture into a 9-inch pan
or a granola bar pan like this
one. Bake for approximately twenty minutes or until golden brown and firm and cool.
It doesn’t get easier than this and it doesn’t get any healthier or tastier. This is the kind of snack that you can feel good about eating.
Tell me:
What’s your favorite healthy snack?
Do you like hard or chewy granola bars?
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Linda and Alex at Veganosity
Yields 1
A healthy and delicious chewy granola bar filled with tart cherries, oats, and walnuts.
10 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup of rolled oats – ground into flour
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons of water – mix well and let sit for 5 minutes
- 4 medjool dates – pitted
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of Sun Butter or any nut or seed butter of your choice
- 2/3 of a cup of tart dried cherries
- 2/3 of a cup of walnuts
- 1/4 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9x9” pan with parchment paper or lightly grease. If you use an individual bar pan lightly grease it if it’s not non-stick.
- Put the cherries and walnuts into the food processor and pulse until they’re coarsely chopped, then put them in a large bowl and set aside.
- Put one cup of rolled oats in a food processor and grind into flour.
- Add the flax egg, dates, salt, vanilla, and sun butter and process until the ingredients turn into a ball.
- Transfer the batter into the large bowl with the cherries and walnuts and add the whole oats and the water and stir until the oats are evenly combined in the mixture.
- Spread evenly in the pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until they’re firm to the touch and golden brown. Let cool and slice into individual pieces. If you use an individual bar pan let cool for five minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 60 days.
- Enjoy!
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