This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute as a part of my on going partnership with them. As always, opinions are my own.
Tart Cherry, Dark Chocolate & Cashew Granola Bars
These snack bars are sweet, tart, salty, crunchy, healthy, yummy, and easy to make… what else can you ask for in a snack!?
February is coined the “Month of Love”, but it’s also National Snack Month and National Cherry Month. How are we going to fit all that goodness into the shortest month of the year?
I think I’ve got you covered. Check it. Tart Cherry, Dark Chocolate & Cashew Granola Bars.
These bars are the perfect snack bar to share with your loved ones or eat at the office. Chocolate= Love, right? In my dictionary Tart Cherries + Chocolate = Love.
Did you know that more than half of all eating occasions are now snacks and more than half of Americans are now snacking at least twice a day?! While I think this is a good trend, it’s super important that we redefine snacks and make sure they are smart nutritious choices that give back.
Some of my favorite snack combos include tart cherries, dark chocolate, and nuts, so I just made them into bar form for you. It’s a power packed snack trio filled with fiber and protein for a nourishing snack that lasts. These bars have it all sweet, sour, salty, and crunchy.
Tart cherries are available in dried, frozen, juice and concentrate forms which makes it easy to enjoy these superfruits year-round. To learn more about going tart at snack time and to find recipes and serving ideas for tart cherries, visit ChooseCherries.com or follow Choose Cherries on Pinterest.
Oh and please note, I’ve tested this recipe with several different sweeteners… maple, honey, agave and the ONLY sweetener that gives a good product (like the images you see in this post) is BROWN RICE SYRUP! Please don’t sub in any other sweeteners into this recipe, unless you want a crumbly granola rather than a bar. Happy Snacking!
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Tart Cherry, Dark Chocolate & Cashew Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 10 bars 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Tart Cherry, Dark Chocolate & Cashew Granola Bars. These snack bars are sweet, tart, salty, crunchy, healthy, yummy, and easy to make… what else can you ask for in a snack!?
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped raw cashews
- ½ cup chopped raw almonds
- ½ cup dried tart cherries
- ½ cup puffed rice cereal
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon whole golden flaxseeds
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; line 8X8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- In small bowl, stir together syrup and almond butter until combined and gently fold into nut mixture until complete incorporated.
- Transfer bar mixture to prepared baking dish.
- Using an extra sheet of parchment paper, press down on the mixture to form it to the pan and ensuring there are no spaces in the mix.
- Bake for 15 minutes; allow bars to cool completely in pan on a wire drying rack. Place in fridge or freezer for faster cooling.
- Remove parchment paper with cooled bars from the pan and using a serrated knife, slice into 10 even bars. Remove parchment paper from bottom of each bar.
- Wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap to store for snack time. Place wrapped bars in airtight container and store on counter for up to 5 days or in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
- Calories: 224
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
More Irresistible Granola Bars:
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Chewy Granola Bars
Soft Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar
Gluten Free Honey & Orange Coffee Cake
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Hi I’m Kristina LaRue, registered dietitian and millennial mom of two active and hungry boys. Here on Love & Zest, you’ll find (mostly) healthy recipes to fuel the whole family and real life stories of modern motherhood. I’m all about veggie-filled breakfast meal prep recipes, healthier sweets, and easy weeknight dinners made in the Instant Pot or sheet pan.
Did you make one of my recipes?? Leave a review in the comments and tag @loveandzest #loveandzest on Instagram!
If you’re a modern mama– I’d love for you to join my Facebook group A Modern Motherhood Collective!
LOVE the cherry addition in these. They’re my favorite dried fruit!
I can tell how amazing the texture is on these bars! YUM!
These look so quick & easy to make! My husband is constantly buying bars to have in the morning when he’s running late for work – it’s time I make my own!
These look so amazing! I need to make them – I welcome healthier granola bars in my life
A delicious idea for a mid morning snack attack. So many yummy ingredients, with lots of goodness. They look and sound really tasty.
★★★★★
These granola bars look very professional, mine never look as good as these. I bet they taste good too.
★★★★★
Gorgeous snack bar. What a fabulous combination of ingredients. Thanks for advice on brown rice syrup, shows what a difference sweetners can make to the texture.
★★★★★
I love how clean this recipe is! We are huge on healthy snacks and now I’ve got to try this one! Thanks for the recipe!
These bars look delicious! all my favorite ingredients packed into one great snack!
These turned out so nicely. I was concerned that baking them would take away the chewiness, but my concerns were unfounded! They hold together, they taste great, and have both a crunchiness and a chewiness. Thanks!!
★★★★★
Hi Kristina,
Do you mean rice crispy cereal? Is there just puffed rice you can buy?
Thank you
You can totally use Rice Crispy Cereal… they do make a “puffed rice” that you can find at trader joes or whole foods, usually comes in a bag.
These are awesome!!! My sons and husband love them as do I – and these guys are hard to all please simultaneously! A go-to favourite! Thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
so glad to hear!
This recipe reminds me of “Like” bars and I have paid almost $2.00 for a very small bar. I’m anxious to try these and use the money I save to buy more ingredients to make my own!!
★★★★★
hope you enjoy!!!
Absolutely love these bars instead of cherries I’ve added currants and wolf berries hemp and sunflower seeds I also used Madagascar honey. Your choices are endless as is your imagination keep the core the same. Look forward to more of your recipes thanks
★★★★
thanks for sharing 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
Yes, I would be interested in the caloric content per bar – before I try them.
Please email me the calories for this yummy recipe….Tart Cherries, Dark choc, Cashews Granalo Bars…thanks so much….So so VERY good and healthy=)
Thanks so much,
roxanne9213@comcast.net
Just sent them to you 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I made it, and thought it was very taste. I also made 2 other recipes at the same time, which I also recommend (do a google search for): beardandbonnet Rise & Shine Energy Bars, redandhoneyHealthy Homemade Granola Bars.
★★★★★