Chocolate Cherry Almond Snack Bars

Grain-free healthy goodness!

First, thank you so much for listening to my behind the scenes interview! It feels wonderful to share my story with not only fellow bloggers, but anyone looking to start their own business or simply take a leap of faith in life. That being said, you’re all simply fabulous.

Second, Snack Bar Sally in da house!

Alright. I’m going to go ahead and file that away with “expressions to never use again.”

Anyway. Today is the return of snack bars. If you’re just joining us, hi! Welcome. My snack bar recipe collection consists of vanilla almond and cashew coconut. And today? Choc-ooooo-late. I decided it was high time to introduce a new flavor to our beloved snack bar obsession.

So what are these magical snack bars?! Glad you asked. Snack bars are my version of KIND bars. A little homemade copycat made from real, whole ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I used to live off of store-bought granola bars and those apple cinnamon nutri-grain bars. It wasn’t until I began to actually read and care about the ingredient list that I stopped buying them completely. Why the need for 40 different sketchy sounding “foods” to make up a simple snack bar?! Why did I like the apple cinnamon flavor over the more popular strawberry?

Things that remain a mystery.

Simple and wholesome, these gluten free bars are made with nuts and dried fruit– and not much else. One ingredient you may not recognize? Almond meal. It’s used in these bars to bind the ingredients together. For anyone not familiar with almond meal, don’t get nervous. Almond meal is just ground almonds– ground almonds before reaching the stage of almond butter. You can buy almond meal, but I find it’s much more convenient (and cheap!) to make it at home. Simply pulse almonds until they reach a gritty and rough flour-like consistency. (Pictured in this post.)

Also making up these chocolate cherry almond snack bars are roughly chopped almonds for crunch– they make up a bulk of the bars. Dried cherries and vanilla extract add flavor, while chocolate chips are necessary for both your stomach and sanity. Tip: use mini chocolate chips so there are more in each bar. #win

For a little sweetness and binding, use honey. Like I’ve mentioned in my previous snack bar recipes, I do not recommend thinner liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or agave. Rather, you want a thick liquid sweetener. Brown rice syrup works too. You don’t need much, only 1/3 cup for the entire batch of bars.

The snack bars come together rather quickly which is a must in life right now and, well, always. What happened to my casual care-free summer? I’m already working ahead for Fall since I’ll be gone from the kitchen the entire season (meeting you)!

Brainstorming Thanksgiving recipes in July? What is happening.

I like to wrap each bar up individually and grab them as I bounce around from the store to the gym to the computer to the kitchen and back again. Some favorite things about them: chewy, crunchy, nutty, sweet, food you recognize, grain-free, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

Follow me on Instagram and tag #sallysbakingaddiction so I can see all the SBA recipes you make. ♥

Chocolate Cherry Almond Snack Bars

Yield: 12 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Chewy, crunchy, satisfying chocolate cherry almond bars made with real, wholesome ingredients. Grain-free healthy goodness!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (114g) honey or brown rice syrup¹


• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 1/3 cup (40g) almond meal²


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 1 Tablespoon (15g) almond butter


• 2 cups (280g) Diamond of California whole almonds, roughly chopped


• 1/2 cup (60g) dried cherries, roughly chopped


• 1/3 cup (58g) mini chocolate chips

Special Equipment

• Food processor or small blender to easily chop the almonds or make the almond meal (here's the own I own and love!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.


2. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the honey, vanilla, almond meal, salt, and almond butter together until combined. Fold in the almonds, cherries, and chocolate chips until combined.


3. Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan and press very firmly into an even layer. You really want it packed in tight- as tight as possible. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 more hour. This helps firm up the bars which makes them stay compact. Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap or parchment. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I find they get a little sticky at room temperature over a few days, so I prefer the refrigerator.


4. Make ahead tip: These bars are freezer friendly. After wrapping individually, freeze for up to 3 months and thaw before enjoying.

Recipe Notes:

1. I do not suggest a thinner sweetener like maple syrup or agave-- honey or brown rice syrup is perfect.


2. You can use store-bought almond meal or almond flour, or you can make your own. Start with 1/4 cup of slivered, sliced, or whole almonds. Pulse them in a food processor until a crumbly meal has formed. Do not run the food processor continuously; you may end up with almond butter. Little pulses are best. You will end up with around 1/4 cup almond meal.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Sally’s Baking Addiction.

You’ll also love my hit the trail granola!

SHOP THE RECIPE

Here are some items I used to make today’s recipe.

Glass Mixing Bowls | Cuisinart Food Processor | Ninja Master Prep | Mariani Pitted Dates | Square Glass Baking Dish

I’m working with Diamond of California to bring you today’s recipe. Thank you for allowing me to work with brands I love! This post contains affiliate links.

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