Thursday, January 13, 2011

Walnut Chocolate Dried Cherry Bars


Breakfast on the go is a challenge for many of us. While I normally eat at my desk during the week, weekends are a blur with errands and other commitments. I'm always looking for a quick, healthy grab-and-go breakfast I can eat in the car as I run my errands. Less time spent on errands means more time to relax with my honey!

These bars integrate whole grains, nuts, dried cherries, with little chocolate thrown in for extra deliciousness. Chocolate for breakfast seems so decadent, but with these healthy bars, a little chocolate for breakfast is a doable treat to start the weekend off right.

Heide of Chez Zero picked these bars for Craving Ellie in My Belly this week. You can find the original recipe here, but here's my version.

Walnut Chocolate Dried Cherry Bars -  adapted from So Easy
Printer friendly version
1 cup quick-cooking oats (regular oats are OK, too)
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, oil, egg and egg white until well combined. Stir in the oatmeal mixture until well combined. Add the dried cherries, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars, about 4 by 1 1/2 inches each.

5 comments:

Bri said...

Hey, great minds think alike; I added chocolate too! I just can't seem to make any kind of granola bar without it! I loved these, too. I can't wait to dream up other flavor combos.

Peggy said...

Hi Leslie. I totally forgot to make these due to the ice and snow conditions here. No grocery store trips for me this week! But your bars look fabulous!

Kayte said...

My recipe did NOT have chocolate listed. I read it three times just to be sure...lol lol. I figured you would all be chocolate-ing these up a bit, it seemed like something several of you would be doing as my past experience with you all tells me. They look good, hardly notice the chocolate at all...I'm thinking of it as just extra dark cherries!

Torviewtoronto said...

these look and sound healthy

TeaLady said...

Chocolate would have been really great in these. I didn't love them, maybe with chocolate I would have.