These Black Pepper Cherry Granola Bars are a simple, healthy snack for bringing on the go to your summer adventures!
This post is in collaboration with iHerb. Thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.
One of the benefits of not fully grasping the whole celsius thing yet is that when you come home to a house that’s 34 degrees, you don’t immediately curse the air-condition-less buildings of Holland (you curse them after Googling and realizing that it is, in fact, 93 degrees F in your house).
Which is why I’m postponing all use of the oven until further notice, and why I’m getting out of the sauna that is our home as much as possible.
And recently I’ve been getting out in the form of biking (how Dutch of me). We live a short 10 or so miles from the beach, so we’ve spent the last few weekends slowly biking our way through Dutch farmlands to the beach, which is really just an excuse to load my bike up with a day’s worth or snacks. Which is where these Black Pepper Cherry Granola Bars come in!
Just because it’s summer and the oven is off limits doesn’t mean we can’t have really tasty homemade snacks. These healthy granola bars are so easy to make and are perfect for bringing on the go (meaning you don’t have to rely on vending machines when the hunger pangs hit).
I got all the ingredients I needed for these granola bars (as well as a few more tasty snacks, like these Whatever Bars) over on iHerb, which makes shopping for groceries way easy and affordable. They carry over 5,000 grocery items and ship to over 160 countries (including Holland!)
Today we’re using their Bob’s Red Mill Dried Cherries, Pumpkin Seeds, and Rolled Oats, which will create the base for these granola bars. We’ll also throw in their Now Foods Almonds for a hefty dose of protein and healthy fat. Finally, their Wholesome Sweeteners Honey and Justin’s Almond Butter will create the tasty glue to keep everything held together.
To make these no bake granola bars, you’ll essentially just combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, then mix it all together! Press into a pan, freeze for a few minutes to harden it up, then cut into bars!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats 200 g
- ¾ cups loosely chopped almonds 130 g
- ½ cup dried cherries 130 g
- ¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds 40 g
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup almond butter 150 g
- ¼ cup honey 60 mL, maple syrup for vegan alternative
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, cherries, pumpkin seeds, and black pepper.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine almond butter and honey, then microwave for 30 seconds, or until hot and pourable.
- Gently combine hot almond butter mix with the dry oat mix.
- Line a 9×13 inch dish with parchment paper and spoon your granola mixture in. Press firmly so that the granola is really compact (I like to use the bottom of a glass for pressing).
- Pop granola in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up, then cut into 9 to 12 bars.
Nutrition Information
Thanks so much again to iHerb for sponsoring this Black Pepper Cherry Granola Bars recipe.
Annette says
I love these bars but cannot seem to get them to hold together. Most times they just crumble and fall apart. they still taste delicious but wish I could get them to solidify.
Sarah says
Hi Annette! Sorry to hear they’re not holding together for you. Have you tried popping them in the freezer for 15-30 minutes? This helps them keep their shape right after making them, then you can store them in the fridge after that 🙂
jane says
taste great but crumbled and couldnt cut into bars even after time in freezer.
Elizabeth says
Really wish I would’ve read the comments before committing to this. Just a crumby mess even after I doubled the liquid AND freezing time. So guess will just be eating with a spoon out of a Tupperware container.