Chocolate Almond Granola Bars

I’ve never had much luck making granola bars until now. They usually turn out caky or crumbly and never hold together; I was just about ready to give up on making granola bars. This recipe has completely changed that around for me.

Not only are these delicious and gluten-free, they’re also no-bake and come together in about 10 minutes. I couldn’t think of anything more to ask for. The ingredients are simple, organic, and whole grain. It could easily be made vegan by swapping out the honey.

For the “dried fruit” we were out of the standard raisins or craisins, so I improvised and used chopped candied ginger. The flavor could not have been more spectacular. I generally love ginger and chocolate and the added bite held its own to the nuttiness of the bars.

Chocolate Almond Granola Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8 bars):

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey**
• 1 cup oats*
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate rice crisps cereal(I used Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice Cereal)*
• 1/2 cup almonds, whole or crushed
• 1/2 cup dried fruit
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

*To make these granola bars gluten-free, make sure these two ingredients are certified gluten-free.

**Use 3 Tablespoons of agave to make these vegan.

Method:

1. In a microwave or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips.
2. Stir in the almond butter and honey until smooth.
3. Add in the oats, cereal, almonds, dried fruit, and salt and mix until everything is completely covered.
4. Line an 8 x 8 baking tray with wax paper. Dump the batter into the pan and press down into an even layer.
5. Refrigerate the bars until they’ve hardened—about 20-30 minutes.
6. With a sharp knife, cut the bars in half horizontally and into quarters vertically into 8 2 x 4 bars.
7. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

I don’t see myself ever paying for granola bars again.