Frozen Tart Cherry & Chocolate Granola Bars
Nibbles and Bites Issue #33: Doubt your puppy likes peanut butter as much as mine!
Happy Sunday,
I have a quick and tasty recipe for you this weekend. Have you ever craved a healthier alternative to the sweet, highly processed granola bars that you find at the grocery store? They’re so convenient to pick up and have stashed in your pantry, but always leave me feeling a little buzzed from the excess sugar.
My version has way less sugar and is packed with nutritious ingredients that will help you sustain your energy level throughout your morning. These delicious tart cherry and chocolate granola bars are topped with a layer of yogurt and you can use coconut yogurt, plain, vanilla greek yogurt, or even kefir. To finish, the bars are then drizzled with some melted chocolate and topped with sliced almonds for extra crunch.
I’ve been meal prepping more than ever, since I have a new labradoodle puppy that is taking up a lot of my time and attention recently, and I’ve been gravitating towards having items in the house that I can grab and eat quickly.
These are absolutely perfect to keep stashed in your freezer as a grab-and-go breakfast or even as an alternative to dessert because they’re not too sweet and very satiating. Let me know what you think when you make them, and send through any topping ideas that you think would be a good fit for these! As always, I think the possibilities are endless!
Frozen Tart Cherry & Chocolate Granola Bars
Ingredients for the bars:
1 ½ cup rolled oats
¾ cup peanut butter or alternative nut butter
¼ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup of chopped tart cherries
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp of kosher salt
Ingredients for the topping:
¾ cup yogurt of choice (vanilla, plain or coconut would be best!)
½ tbsp coconut oil
⅓ cup chocolate chips
Additional sliced almonds for garnish
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the rolled oats, peanut butter, sliced almonds, maple syrup, chopped cherries, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until well-combined and transfer to a parchment lined quarter baking sheet. Spread and firmly pack into a thin ¼ inch thick layer.
Spread yogurt of your choice on top of the layer of granola. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between intervals, until smooth and glossy. Top the yogurt layer with the melted chocolate and marble the layers today using the back of a knife if desired. Top with sliced almonds. Freeze for 1-2 hours until firm. Remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for a few minutes before enjoying.
There is absolutely nothing in this world that Chippy loves more than licking peanut butter off of a spoon or out of his Kong toy. He gets insanely excited whenever I open up the pantry door where we keep his personal jar and if the little rascal could eat these granola bars, he certainly would. They’d definititely be Chippy approved!
Until next time,
Kristen