These no-bake almond & cherry granola bars are a great staple to have on your weekly snack list.
They are gluten-free, refined sugar free and will really give you a boost and keep you full.
They are great for breakfast but also amazing to have on hand for quick on-the-go snacks, as they transport well.
Nutritional Highlights:
✅ High in fibre: oats and dates help provide about 5g of fibre per bar.
✅ Naturally sweetened: dates provide natural sweetness without refined sugars.
✅ Naturally high in protein: they have nearly 7g of protein per bar.
✅ No-bake convenience: preserving nutrients and making them quick to prepare.
✅ Antioxidant-rich: cherries and dates add a boost of antioxidants.
These Almond & cherry granola bars contain 7 simple store-cupboard ingredients:
- Medjool dates
- Almonds
- Dried cherries
- Maple syrup
- Gluten-free oats
- Peanut butter
- Sunflower seeds
It’s simply a case of blending the dates, peanut butter and maple syrup and mixing with the other ingredients. You then pack the mixture down into a baking tray and refrigerate until hard.
Simply cut into bars and store in the fridge, so they stay hard. Really great to grab-and-go and full of really good whole foods
Try them yourself and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Recipe Tips:
- They are officially no bake, but you can also toast your oats/nuts/seeds in the oven for 10 mins if you prefer. It gives the bars a slightly deeper flavour, but they are good either way.
- I use a very runny peanut butter. If your nut butter is a little harder you may need to add some water as you blend, to get a softer consistency.
- If your dates are very hard try soaking in boiling water for 20-30 mins. Drain before using. I use very soft medjool dates, so rarely soak mine, but this is always an option.
- You can substitute peanut butter for any other nut butter.
- They will last for about 6 days in a sealed tub in the fridge.
Almond & Cherry Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups soft medjool dates, pitted (200g)
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (120g)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup unsalted almonds lightly chopped (140g)
- 1 cup of gf oats (80g)
- ⅓ cup dried cherries (50g)
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- Pinch sea salt optional
Instructions
- Pit the dates and add to a food processor with the peanut butter and maple syrup. Blend until it forms a smooth and sticky ball. It should be a very smooth paste, if not add 1-2 tbsp water and blend again.
- Chop the almonds into smaller pieces. Add to a bowl with the date mixture, oats, cherries, seeds and salt. Mix thoroughly (I use my hands to get it mixed well). Alternatively, you can add the additional ingredients into the food processor and pulse to combine. If you do, make sure you keep checking and don’t overmix (you want some of the nut pieces intact).
- Press down into an 8 inch (20cm) square tin (greased and lined). Refrigerate to set, for at least an hour.
- Once harder, cut into 12 bars.
Notes
- After pressing the mixture in the tin,I like to top with a few extra nuts and seeds. This is optional but I think it makes them more appealing.
- Store in the fridge, so they stay hard. As they aren’t baked they will be too soft if you keep out the fridge for more than 5-6 hours. They will be fine for an hour to two, if you want to take with you on the go.
- You can also sub in any other nuts or fruit you like – just keep the quantities similar.
- You can use almond or cashew butter instead of peanut.
- I don’t soak my dates. If yours are very hard, try soaking in boiling water for 15-20 mins. Drain before you use.
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