Cranberry Almond Bars

My favorite homemade snack bars. Grain free, no refined sugars & vegan – these Cranberry Almond Bars are super chewy & completely addictive. I have an obsession with snack bars. Granola bars, energy bars, breakfast bars – you know, the kind filled with nuts that cost $3 a piece? There’s just something about the sweet, salty, grab & go deliciousness that – if you’re anything like me – is completely irresistible.

Seriously, the number of $3 charges from 7-11 on my bank statement was getting out of hand. So to save money I started buying in bulk. The only problem is that my snack bar consumption doubles when they’re ready available. Yes I saved 30% by buying a 24 pack – but the economics don’t exactly play out well when all of a sudden demand increases X2…..

(This is the exact reason why I can’t shop at Costco. No Fiona – you don’t need 10 jars of Nutella).

So, it’s time to break the reliance on snack bars that come pre-wrapped and make our own. These ones are just as delicious, addictive & protein packed – but they’re easier on your wallet AND you can control the ingredient list. You can whip up a batch with very little effort, and I dare say that they’re even tastier homemade.

These are also great if you’re looking for a healthier option, avoid gluten & grains, or if you’re vegan. Plus, there’s no refined sugar so the recipe is perfect for your resolutions.

In this recipe we’re using almond meal, almonds, coconut & dried cranberries. The almonds are the bulk of the flavor, while the almond meal helps to keep them nice & chewy. Then the coconut and dried cranberries add sweetness, color & more texture.

For the “glue” it’s a mixture of honey or brown rice syrup, almond butter and a little coconut oil, helping these bars to be super chewy and not too sticky. The bars are baked in the oven, and my one main piece of advice is to wait until the bars have fully cooled before cutting into them.  Other wise, sticky fingers ensue.

As much as I love chocolate & frosting these Cranberry Almond Snack Bars are definitely my obsession. So if you’re eating healthy, or just doing a healthy dose of snacking – I suggest you join me!

Print Recipe

Cranberry Almond Snack Bars

These easy Cranberry Almond Snack Bars are gluten free, dairy free & have no refined sugars. They're super chewy, and a delicious, healthy snack. 

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Servings: 10 bars

Calories: 402kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup honey or brown rice syrup
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and ½ cup raw almonds , if using unsalted add ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup almond meal*
• ½ cup flaked coconut**
• ⅔ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

• Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 300F degrees.
• In a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave safe bowl melt together the honey or brown rice syrup, almond butter and coconut oil. Once melted add in the vanilla and stir to combine.
• In a separate large size bowl add the almonds, almond meal, coconut & dried cranberries. Toss to combine. Then pour in the melted honey mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients stir everything together until well mixed.
• Press the mixture into the prepared pan tightly packing it down. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool fully before cutting into 8-10 bars.

Notes

*If you don't have almond meal/ground almonds, you can process almonds in the food processor. Be very careful do so in short bursts or your almonds can become almond butter
**You can use sweetened or unsweetened.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction