Snacks. They are the bane of my existence. Seriously. I'm pretty sure you are either a snacker or not and I am a snacker of the highest order. You should see the lunch I take to work each day. SO MUCH FOOD!! But there is nothing worse than being hungry. Even though I try to pack healthy snacks, that mid morning or mid afternoon craving hits hard and the first thing I want to reach for is the sneaky bar of chocolate in my desk draw...you know...
This is a judgement free zone.
I've been trying really hard lately to find snacks that are not full of sugar but still satisfy my sweet tooth. Lucky for us both I think I've hit the nail on the head with these healthy cranberry & chocolate oat bars!
Made of of mostly oats, studded with cranberries and chocolate chips these bars are the perfect snack. There is only a tiny bit of brown sugar but the cranberries and chocolate chips throughout make them plenty sweet enough. You can eat a couple of these without feeling guilty, which is just as well because it is super easy to polish off 2 or 3 in a row.
Or 4 or 5.
The ingredient list is super simple and they are a breeze to throw together. They can be in your belly in 30 minutes. Really!
My favourite part - this is the best naked bar recipe. You can add anything you like to these babies and make them your own. Don't like cranberries? Leave them out! Trying to avoid chocolate? Add some walnuts instead! Want to throw in every single snacky item in your pantry? Sure, why not! I would just try to limit the additions to 1 cup worth of goodies otherwise you may have a mess on your hands.
But make 'em right and you have a healthy, tasty treat with little surprises in each bite! Yum!
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Healthy cranberry & chocolate oat bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 70 grams butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl mix together rolled oats, flour, coconut, baking powder and brown sugar.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan or in a microwave jug, add egg and vanilla and whisk together.
- Add to the dry ingredients and combine.
- Add the cranberries & chocolate chips and combine.
- Press into a lined or greased 11" x 7" brownie tin and bake at 180 degrees C for 12-14 minutes until slightly golden brown on top.
- Cool in the tin before cutting into slices and storing in an airtight container.
Colin Griffin says
Hi Laura. Very tasty and easy to make. Mine were a little crumbly. I see above that you suggest pressing down firmly and/or an extra egg. What about substituting some of the sugar with honey?
Laura says
You could definitely try that too!
Maddie says
Hey Laura these tasted yum but mine seemed really dry and crumbly abd I couldn't get them to hold together.. not sure where I went wrong?
Laura says
Hi Maddie, I would maybe try pressing the mixture down in the tin really firmly, and adjusting the baking time - it may just need slightly less time in the oven! But if the mixture is really dry and won't press together even before it's baked, you can always add an extra egg to help!
Debbie says
This recipe is off the scale yummy, and so easy to make. Definitely a new family favourite. Thank you Laura.
Briar says
Hi these look delicious and I can't wait to give them a go but was wondering if the coconut is just desiccated coconut? And do these freeze well? Cheers x
Laura says
Yes desiccated coconut and yes they freeze well!
Lauren @ Create Bake Make says
These look so good! I prefer to make my own bars for the kids rather than buying them and will certainly be trying this recipe very soon. Thanks for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, I hope you are having a great week 🙂
Laura says
Thanks Lauren! They would be perfect for kiddies - hardly any sugar and can be cut into little pieces for little hands! Hope you enjoy them 🙂