| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr 10 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 24 granola bars |
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pitted dates
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 3 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped almonds (about 8 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups mini carob chips (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped dried cherries (about 8 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup toasted flaked coconut
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups creamy almond butter (about 32 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Place the dates in a medium bowl, cover with 2 cups hot water and soak for 30 minutes, until softened.
- Line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least two sides. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, puffed rice cereal, almonds, 1 cup of the carob chips, dried cherries, sunflower seeds and flaked coconut. Mix until evenly combined.
- Add the softened dates and their soaking water to a blender along with the cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the almond butter and 1 1/2 cups of the date syrup. (Refrigerate the extra date syrup for another use; see Cook’s Note.) Add the almond butter mixture to the bowl with the oats and mix together with a rubber spatula or clean hands until evenly combined. When you squeeze the granola in your hands, it should hold together like a wet dough.
- Firmly pack the granola into the prepared pan. Flatten the top by lightly spraying the bottom of a 1-cup metal measuring cup and pressing down on the granola to compact it as much as possible. There should be about 3/4 inch between the granola and the rim of the pan. Cover with foil and freeze for 2 hours.
- When the granola has set, remove the foil. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup carob chips with the coconut oil in the microwave. Immediately drizzle the melted carob over the granola. Let set at room temperature or, for faster results, freeze for 5 minutes.
- Once the carob has set, use the foil overhang to lift the granola from the pan. Cut the granola into 24 bars by cutting it into 3 strips on the 9-inch side (every 3 inches) and 8 strips on the 13-inch side (about every 1 1/2 inches).
- Serve immediately or wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for a quick on-the-go snack.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 484 |
| Total Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 56 mg |
Reviews
Why did you not have that cute Enzo help with the recipe so that he could really “earn” his cooking badge? He was certainly able to assist.
sounds like Ms Anonymous up there dont know how to measure. I did end up using less syrup than called for however, that was great bc I dont care for the taste of dates. I could not find the “cooks note” anywhere….
Love this recipe! Made a slight variation on the dried fruit ingredients, made my own(no sugar added). Store bought butters were too expensive so I made my own and “all healthy&natural that way”. Used “NoSalt” brand salt substitute to keep sodium levels low. It came out sooooooo good!
These are the bomb my husband will not eat any other treat but these. The person who complained about the cost, at least we know what we are putting into our body. I freeze after I cut them so we can take on the go. Thanks Val for the fab recipes keep it up.✌️
DO NOT MAKE THIS! I have never received a recipe before but I am here because I have to see anyone waste the time and $ I have on this recipe. Calls for many costly ingredients and even though I followed the recipe these did not hold together at all and just taste like wet granola. The recipe makes a huge amount which now I am stuck choking down myself because I can’t give friends a soggy granola bar crumble that has to be eaten with a spoon. Also I watched the episode and Valerie Bertinelli went on and on about how healthy these are because she used carob instead of chocolate but this recipe also calls for 2 jars of nut butter and a syrup made from dates, a dried fruit extremely high in sugar, there is also about 1.5 cups of leftover date syrup that the recipe encourages to “save for another use” but I am not sure where I would use more super sugary date syrup. Also a big scam is the 35 minute “active cooking time” this recipe took more like 2 hours of active time after measuring all the ingredients, making the date syrup, mixing, pressing and washing the boat load of dishes this recipe creates. It would have been way less costly, less of a time suck and healthier to just buy a box of kind bars. There is literally nothing redeeming about this recipe. Negative stars!
These were SO delicious and filling! Made 1/2 recipe and cut bars to make 12. The only substitute I made was to use dried cranberries instead of the dried cherries. You do spend a lot of money for all the ingredients; but at least you know these are healthy. Not very sweet; but that’s OK. Will definitely make again.
What is a serving size of these bars, the calories & fat grams per serving etc? Thank you, Deborah Richards
Hello I went on a shopping trip to buy all i needed for the no bake bars. It called for the almond butter. it was 7.99 a jar. Looking around I found the sunflower butter for 5.99 I thought it might do. I am going to do this challenge tomorrow. If it want work I would love to know. So I will be use them bothone if each. Thanks Janet