Cranberry Cashew Oat Bars

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you all have a fabulous day spending time with those you love. 

I had the chance to dye some eggs with a few kids at work on Thursday and we had a ton of fun. I seemed to have forgotten that simple activities like dyeing eggs can make a child so happy.

I know you're probably loaded up with fun Easter candy and delicious food, but when you're ready to escape the sugar high you're bound to experience, give this tasty and wholesome snack a try!

I mentioned before that I'm trying to buy less of the store-bought processed snacks and snack bars to fuel my everyday life and workouts. It's sometimes tough finding a tasty, nutritious, and portable snack to take with me to work. These Cranberry Cashew Oat Bars are perfect for nutrition on-the-go. These bars are completely customizable: swap out your favorite dried fruit for the cranberries and your favorite nut for the cashews. Also, if your family likes a sweeter snack, add your favorite sweetener and make this bar as an afternoon treat! The possibilities are endless. 

Cranberry Cashew Oat Bars

Makes 8 generous bars, or 12 smaller bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350* and spray a 9" x 9" baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown along the edges.

*The only sweetener in these bars is the berries. Feel free to add 1/4-1/3 cup of your family's favorite sweetener.

Recipe inspired by Katheats.com



And if you're looking for more healthy snacks, check out these:

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins

Whole Wheat Applesauce Muffins

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars

Hello, hello! I'm really excited to share my new favorite snack recipe with you today. I'm always looking for a portable, delicious, and healthy snack to eat between fitness classes or for those moments when I can feel my blood sugar drop. These Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars are the perfect solution to any snack dilemma!

I had been buying lots of store bought granola bars, protein bars, and fiber bars, but most of them have an enormously long list of ingredients and some just taste like candy. Candy is great (don't get me wrong), but sometimes I just want a healthy satisfying snack that doesn't involve chocolate or caramel.

I searched the web for what seems like hours trying to find the perfect bar recipe, but never had all of the ingredients on hand to create my own. With several very different recipes in mind, I created my own snack bar recipe and couldn't be happier with the results!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars

Makes 8 generous bars

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup skim milk (or your favorite milk)
1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 to 1/3 cup peanut butter (I used 1/4 cup)
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350* and spray a 9" x 9" pan with cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl, mash the bananas until there are no large chunks left. Add the milk, vanilla, and peanut butter and whisk until well combined. Add the dates, oats, and cinnamon and stir until well combined. Press the mixture into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

*If your family is used to really sweet snack bars, you might want to add 1/4-1/3 cup of your favorite sweetener (like agave, honey, or brown sugar).

Enjoy!