Chocolate Cashew Granola Bars
We don’t really “restrict” sweets around here. In the pantry right now we’ve got chocolate covered blueberries and espresso beans (for the adults), Trader Joe’s JoJo’s, Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bark, M&Ms, Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cups… we like our chocolate! In the freezer there mini ice cream sandwiches, two tubs of ice cream… I think you get it. I’m not saying we eat them allllll the time, but a treat is definitely a part of our daily diet. (Gasp!!! The dietitian eats chocolate DAILY!)
These bars are more of a mid-grade snack. They’ve got everything he wants and everything I want. Chocolate - check, sweetness - check, whole grains - check, healthy fats - check. When you or your little one want a sweeter snack (for us its typically its after nap or mid-afternoon), these could be the perfect, more nutrient dense, replacement for his ice cream or cookie or your daily handful of M&Ms or Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bark! When you cut them into 20, there’s less than five grams of sugar per serving! So now, lets all snack happier!
Chocolate Cashew Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped cashews
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1/4 cup nut butter (I used Kirkland Mixed Nut Butter)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients (oats through flax seed).
- In a small bowl mix all wet ingredients (nut butter through vanilla).
- Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and stir until combined.
- Pour onto the lined pan and press down firmly until its packed and even.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are slightly golden.
- Remove from pan and cool completely.
- Store in an air tight container for 5 days or in the freezer.