Nut-Free Chocolate-Cherry Snack Bars

These chewy, crunchy and delicious nut-free snack bars boast good-for-you dried fruit, oats and little explosions of chocolate. We like the flavour of dried cherries or cranberries, but any coarsely chopped dried fruit will work.

Alice Medrich

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups unsweetened puffed wheat cereal
• ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Directions

• Step 1 Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 300 degrees F. Line an 8-inch-square pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang on two opposite sides.
• Step 2 Toss cereal, oats and dried cherries (or cranberries) in a large bowl.
• Step 3 Combine honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the honey is more fluid and the salt is dissolved. Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and fold until everything is moistened and sticky. Let cool for 5 minutes. Fold in chips (or chopped chocolate) until evenly distributed. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a fork. Using the back of the fork, press the mixture very firmly all over. (Alternatively, cover with parchment paper and press firmly all over.)
• Step 4 Bake until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. (If in doubt, take it out so the honey does not burn.) Run a knife along the unlined sides of the pan to detach the bars. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Use the ends of the parchment to lift the bars from the pan. Gently peel off the parchment. Use a heavy sharp knife to cut into 16 bars or squares.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 BarPer Serving:93 calories; protein 1.2g 2% DV; carbohydrates 19.3g 6% DV; exchange other carbs 1.5; dietary fiber 1g 4% DV; sugars 13.8g; fat 1.9g 3% DV; saturated fat 1g 5% DV; cholesterolmg; vitamin a iu 142.1IU 3% DV; vitamin c 0.1mg; folate 3.3mcg 1% DV; calcium 2.9mg; iron 1mg 6% DV; magnesium 19.3mg 7% DV; potassium 45.3mg 1% DV; sodium 20mg 1% DV; thiamin 0.1mg 7% DV; added sugar 12g.Exchanges: 

1 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat

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