These tasty granola bars are chewy with a bit of a crunch, chocolatey, complex-tasting, and not cloyingly sweet. They are made with wonderfully nutritious ingredients that replenish your energy without weighing you down with fat. Fresh cranberries are sold only around the winter holidays, but don’t let that stop you: these bars are also great if you use dried cherries (sweet or sour) instead. Make sure you get oil- and sugar-free organic ones, and if using sweet cherries, dial down the dates by about a cup.
Makes 16 bars.
Ingredients:
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup raw buckwheat groats
2 mashed ripe medium-sized bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup freshly ground golden flaxseeds
½ cup freshly ground chia seeds
½ cup organic cacao powder
3½ cups finely chopped, pitted Medjool dates, or to taste
1 cup finely chopped fresh organic cranberries
Pinch ground chipotle powder