Cherry Vegan Energy Bars
These healthy vegan energy bars are like a homemade Larabar and the perfect snack, made with hazelnuts and tart cherries.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 large bars or 32 small bars 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups hazelnuts
- 20 Medjool dates (2 cups)
- 1 cup + ¼ cup tart dried cherries (with no sugar added), divided
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add all ingredients except 1/4 cup dried cherries. Turn on the food processor and process until the mixture sticks together without being crumbly, about 2 minutes. (The length of processing is important for the texture, so make sure to process long enough that the mixture is not crumbly, but not so long that it becomes too gooey.)
- Add the remaining ¼ cup dried cherries and pulse several times to combine, incorporating the larger cherry chunks into the mix.
- Turn out the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and press it into a flat layer of the desired thickness, then roll a rolling pin over the top to smooth it to a uniform thickness. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 45 minutes to harden. Then slice into bars of the desired size (we used 4” x 2”). Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Adapted from Whole Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon Note: You can substitute almonds for the hazelnuts if they are not easily available, but we recommend using hazelnuts for their unique flavor.
Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/cherry-hazelnut-energy-bars/