Eating healthy on the go is a tricky one. While there are more and more healthy food spots opening up, I still don’t find it easy to eat healthy food when you are out and about especially if you are looking for a quick unprocessed snack without any additives.
This is when homemade granola bars come in handy. Whether you eat them as a quick breakfast on the go or if you need a snack when hanging around at an airport waiting for your flight. Or if you need a quick pick-me-up at work.
Of course, you can find granola bars in the store. But they tend to have a lot of sugar, and I believe homemade food just tastes better. And the best about it: you can put in whatever you like and create your favorite granola bar.
And here is mine: a cashew cranberry granola bar with coconut chips. Because it’s chewy but still crunchy, has only natural ingredients, and is low in sugar. What else do you need?
The base is straightforward: oats, chia seeds, almond butter (I prefer to make my own), coconut oil, and sweetener of your choice. All you need to do is add your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. The possibilities are endless – have fun experimenting!
Once baked, put the cashew cranberry granola bars in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. Or you can wrap them individually and give them to your loved ones. Because these cashew cranberry granola bars make great gifts.
Have fun baking!
Love,
Marion
If you are looking for more treats that you can pop into your bag and enjoy on the go, try these walnut fig bars or how about some carrot banana muffins?
Cashew Cranberry Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (160g) oats
- 3/4 cup (50g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup (125g) cashews, broken in halves
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup (50g) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (115g) honey (or maple syrup if vegan)
- 2/3 cup (165g) nut butter (I used almond butter)
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds of one vanilla pod
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a 9-inch (23cm) square pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2 In a large bowl mix oats, coconut flakes, cashews, chia seeds, cranberries, salt, and cinnamon.
- Step 3 In a small saucepan mix honey (or maple syrup if vegan), nut butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract and melt over medium heat until well combined.
- Step 4 Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Step 5 Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan. This is important to prevent the granola bars to fall apart after baking. You can use slightly wet hands or the back of a spoon.
- Step 6 Bake the granola bars for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Step 7 Using a serrated knife, cut into rectangular bars and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
