Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 6 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. water
These bars are delicious with butter, but for vegan friends I’ve made them several times with coconut oil and they’re terrific that way, too. Feel free to swap it in.
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper. You’ll want to cut the paper long enough to have some overhang on two of the sides. Lightly grease the paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sugar, pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, cherries and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vanilla extract, melted butter or coconut oil, honey and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well. Transfer to the prepared pan, cover loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap (to prevent the mixture from sticking to your fingers), and press firmly into the pan. Remove the plastic wrap and discard.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t worry that the mixture feels soft; it will harden as it cools. Set the pan on a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife along the edges of the pan. Cool completely, still in the pan, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Lift onto a cutting board, and cut into squares with a sharp knife.
Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper.
Recipe by Jessica Fechtor