Dark Chocolate Tropical Granola Bars Recipe
These dark chocolate tropical granola bars are made with wholesome ingredients and are packed full of dried fruit! Plus they're a cinch to whip up... just 10 minutes of hands-on prep!
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 362kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cup old fashioned oats pulsed in a food processor for about 5 seconds
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal brown or white
- 3 tbsp almonds sliced
- 3 tbsp cashews chopped
- 3 tbsp pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp golden flaxseed meal optional
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cup Sunsweet Philippine Pineapple chopped
- 1/4 cup Sunsweet Thai Coconut Chips
Instructions
- Line a 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. NOTE: I prefer criss-crossing them for easy removal.
- In a medium size microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the almond butter and honey. Microwave on medium power (I did 5) for 1 minute, then stir and repeat. Remove from the microwave, add the vanilla whisk vigorously until smooth. Allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, nuts, flaxseed meal, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the cooled almond butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a large spatula, fold the ingredients together until no dry spots remain, then pour in all of the fruit and all but 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips. NOTE: it's ok if the chocolate chips melt a little bit, it adds more flavor to the bars! Mix until combined, then pour into the prepared pan. Press firmly to create an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours. Remove from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 rectangular bars or 12 squares. Store in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
-If your almond butter is really thick, try adding a but of coconut butter to it or coconut oil to loosen it up a bit. You don't want it overly thick.
-You can easily add quinoa, millet or amaranth to these bars!
-You can easily add quinoa, millet or amaranth to these bars!
Nutrition
Serving: 12serving | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 3mg