These healthy homemade almond cherry pepita granola bars are our new go-to breakfast nut bar recipe. Crunchy nuts and seeds combined with sticky honey makes the perfect easy chewy fruit-and-nut snack.
1 large mixing bowl or medium bowl with wooden spoon
1 8-inch pan or baking dish square
1 small pot
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
1cup(160 grams) whole almonds, roughly chopped, or sliced almonds
1cup(146 grams) pepitas
⅔cup(28 grams) crispy rice cereal (gluten free), or puffed rice
⅓cup(60 grams) dried cherries, roughly chopped
¼cup(22 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
¼cup(25 grams) raw cacao powder
¼teaspoonfine sea salt
Wet ingredients:
⅓cup(110 grams) coconut nectar
2tablespoonshoney
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract, or almond extract
Instructions
Prepare pan: Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan with two criss-cross pieces of parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides of the pan.
Dry ingredients: in a large bowl, combine almonds, pepitas, crispy rice, dried cherries, coconut, cacao and sea salt. Set aside.
Wet ingredients: in a small pot on medium heat, add coconut nectar and honey. Heat until well combined and small bubbles begin to hit the surface, stirring often. Remove from heat just before boiling. Add vanilla.
Combine: Pour the coconut and honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon until well combined.
Set: Press into prepared baking pan, pressing down firmly to compact all ingredients. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to 1 hour until firm.
Slice: Taking the overhanging edges of the parchment paper, remove the firm granola bar mixture from the pan. With a sharp knife, cut into squares or bars.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days. Wrap individually for a satisfying on-the-go snack or stack separated by parchment or wax paper.
Freeze individually wrapped or stacked in an airtight container, for up to 2 months.