Chocolate, Cherry and Oatmeal Bars

June 6th, 2011 | Author: lacey - a sweet pea chef

Okay. Sometimes, failures can be a good thing.

Go with me on this one…

Like with these Chocolate, Cherry and Oatmeal Bars. Let me explain.

Chocolate, Cherry and Oatmeal Bars recipe and photos by Lacey Baier, a sweet pea chef

I originally set out to make granola bars with these ingredients. As you can see, these are not granola bars. *Sniff*

However, they turned out to be quite tasty nonetheless.

These bars are thicker and a bit chewier than your average granola bar. Consider them a non-granola bar if you’d like. Or not.

Despite my failure at making a granola bar recipe, we all still thought these bars were delicious.

They were incredibly easy to make and would make a great snack or dessert. Or, try cutting them into bite-size pieces and bringing them to your next potluck. I hope you enjoy them!

Also, if you don’t happen like the dried cherries, chocolate or almonds I added, just substitute what sounds best to you into the recipe. I think I may try toasted coconut flakes and dark chocolate next time. Yum!

Chocolate, Cherry and Oatmeal Bars

3 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick cooking oats)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup honey, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup honey, vanilla extract and butter and incorporate into dry mixture. Add remaining 1/4 cup honey. Add the sliced almonds, dried cherries and chocolate morsels and stir to incorporate.

Line a 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Add mixture into prepared pan and firmly press into pan, using your hand or flat knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool completely on cooling rack. Once cooled, cut into bars or bite-size pieces.

Enjoy!