Almond Strawberry Granola Bars
Roasted almonds and oats mixed with sticky, sweet dates, nut butter, honey, almond extract, and strawberry jam are better than a candy bar! These hearty bars are perfect for school, work, hiking or camping trips, after workout snack, or just anytime you need an indulgent pick-me-up. Wrap them individually and store them in the fridge ready to grab and throw in a bag. Adjust the ingredients based on your pantry staples and flavor preferences.
Servings: 9 bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed dates pitted Medjool are preferred (raisins are a good, cheaper substitute) (8-9 large dates)
- ⅛ cup honey same as 2 tbsp
- ¼ cup creamy salted almond butter peanut butter or any other nut butter
- 1 cup unroasted/unsalted almonds or cashews, peanuts, other nut (roughly chopped)
- 1½ cups rolled oats gluten-free for GF eaters
- Pinch of salt
- ⅛ cup strawberry jam or other fruit jam (same as 2 tbsp)
- ¼ tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Optional step: Preheat the oven to 350˚F (176˚C). Toast the oats and chopped nuts for ~15 minutes or until golden brown. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Consider shaking the pan to move them around at the halfway point. You can leave them raw instead of roasting them.
- Remove the pits from the dates. Use your hands or a knife depending on how soft they are. Process dates in a food processor into small pieces. They should form a sticky dough ball. Alternatively, use a knife and chop them up by hand into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the (warm) oats, nuts, and stir in salt. Add dates by scattering pieces along the top of the oat mixture. The heat from the toasted nuts and oats will help to break up the sticky dates. You may need to use your hands to disperse the dates throughout.
- In a small bowl, add the nut butter and honey (or maple syrup). If the nut butter is too thick to stir, microwave it for ~15-20 seconds until slightly heated (just enough so that the nut butter blends well with the sweetener). Stir in the strawberry jam and almond extract. Pour over the oat mixture and mix well. Break up the dates using a metal spoon or spatula to disperse throughout. You may need to use your hands to ensure a good mix of ingredients.
- Once thoroughly mixed, transfer mixture to an 8x8-inch baking dish or other small pan lined with foil, plastic wrap, or parchment paper so the bars lift out easily.
- Press down firmly until uniformly flattened. You want the mixture to be well compacted so the ingredients will hold together. I like to use a rubber spatula to press down the mixture and flatten out the top.
- Cover the dish and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 15-20 minutes to firm up. Cut into squares or traditional granola bar rectangles. Enjoy!
Notes
Optional additions & substitutions
Other dried fruit like cranberries, apricots, kiwi, banana chips, etc.
Other nuts like cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia, etc.
Consider white chocolate chips or chunks
Substitute with any liquid sweetener like agave
No nut butter? Try a chocolate hazelnut spread like Nutella
Add spices like cinnamon, pumpkin pie, or apple pie spice
Why not try other extracts like chocolate or other fruit flavorings?
An 8x8-inch pan makes 9 bars. For easy transport, store them individually wrapped in plastic wrap. You can also just place them stacked in containers. They store well in the fridge for several weeks.
Try chocolate covered granola bars. Dip your granola bars into melted chocolate (chocolate that hardens) OR drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the granola bars. Then, allow them to cool and harden in the refrigerator.
Have fun with the many optional additions!