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Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means – bathing suit and shorts season. I’m betting we’re all suddenly a little more conscious of what we toss into our mouths. It’s no secret that My Baking Addiction is full of sugary goodness, but I do try to maintain healthy eating habits. Although I could certainly stand to lose some unwanted pounds, I try to eat in moderation.
I typically eat a healthy breakfast, followed by a reasonable lunch, but my downfall is about 3:30. It’s when I’ve finished the work day and am settling in to my evening routine of blogging, laundry and preparing dinner. It’s the time of the day when not only do I get a little crabby, but I also get a seemingly insatiable craving for ridiculously sweet items like soda, Nerds and Fruit Roll-Ups. Don’t judge me, I have a full on addiction to Fruit Roll-Ups, they’re my vice. I love them.
If you have read My Baking Addiction for any length of time, you may be aware that I am not all that into chocolate. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s simply not my favorite. I’m more of a fruity type of girl that has an affinity for all things sour and chewy.
Recently, I started hearing good things about dark chocolate on talk shows. Ya know, one of those days when the TV was “on”, but I wasn’t really watching. It piqued my interest, so I started doing more research. Did you know that studies indicate that dark chocolate can do some pretty awesome things like improve your mood, stimulate endorphin production and it’s a great source for antioxidants. I can certainly use an improvement in my mood from time to time!
With all of the benefits, it certainly doesn’t hurt to work a little dark chocolate into your diet or your baked goods. These homemade granola bars are full of delicious flavor and have some pretty healthy ingredients like wheat germ, cherries, almonds and of course, dark chocolate. They couldn’t be easier – everything is made in one bowl…bonus! And they are the perfect 3:00 pm pick me up or little surprise snack in the kiddos’ lunch.
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried sour cherries, chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup slivered almonds
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.
3. Mix well using your hands, add in cherries, chocolate chips and almonds. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden around the edges. Cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes before cutting. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting because they will crumble.
Notes:
- Store granola bars is airtight container for up to three days.
- Recipe adapted from allrecipes.
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really look perfectly ^^
Thanks for a great recipe. I made a few substitutions based on what I had in my pantry and they turned out excellent! :) LOVE your blog.
I wanted to thank you for this delicious recipe, and whoever is taking the food photos did a fabulous job with these bars.
Today, for the first time I made meatloaf. I know, not a big deal for most folk, but I am not a fan of meatloaf…at all. I kept telling my husband, as I popped one mini loaf after another into the oven, that I was going to make these bars as a reward. I had gone out and gotten the cherries, gotten the chocolate, I was ready! When it came time to make them, I had my husband sit at the computer and read the ingredients off to me. I popped each one into the bowl. Then he said wheat germ. I went to the pantry, popped open the Tupperware, and discovered it was expired! I was ready to sit down and cry! My husband, bless him, knew how much I wanted to try this recipe, quickly did a search for wheat germ subs, and discovered that as long as it is rough like the wheat germ, just about anything can be used. I quickly grabbed a handful of almonds and pulverized them! In place of the almond slivers I used a 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds. Even with the subs, it is delicious, and I can foresee that this will be made more then once in our household. Thank you!
I just came upon your website now. Do you think that Coconut oil in this recipe would work in place of Vegetable oil?
Chantelle-
I have experimented with it, but I think it’s with a shot. Let me know how it goes.
Jamie
These look awesome! I’ve been trying out a few different granola bar recipes and have yet to find the perfect one. Will add this to my “to try” list!
These sound great… I do happen to be a chocolate lover, so I know I’d love them!
I was recently reading the ingredients of all the pre-packaged granola bars, and I wasn’t that impressed. The thought occurred to me that this is exactly the type of snack I should make (I’m not much of a baker). I especially like the idea of dark chocolate and cherries in your recipe.
I love homemade granola and granola bars, and am always looking for new recipes to try! I’ll definitely add yours to the pile of recipes to try.
Great info on dark chocolate… I have always wished I liked it better then milk chocolate… at least I could then pretend I was being healthy. ;)
Hi Jamie! I love your blog & have used many of your recipes with great success! My 13 yo daughter has been baking granola bars now for the past month on almost a weekly basis. I had found another recipe similar to yours on a different site & we’ve made a few of our own modifications which is the beauty of a homemade granola bar recipe–you can add or delete according to your taste preference! For instance, the recipe we have specifies dried cherries but we use dried cranberries instead. We also use whole wheat flour & add a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed to up the fiber content. The bars freeze really well & it just takes a few seconds in the microwave to defrost which also tends to melt the dark chocolate chips a tad which significantly increases the YUM factor! Thanks again for a great website!!