I think it’s a little difficult to get excited for back to school this year given everything that is going on with COVID. However, this was always one of my favorite times of the year! I was that kid who was excited to go shopping for school supplies and couldn’t wait for the first day of classes – even throughout university.

I find myself now “going back to school” this fall to start a masters program, and while it’s an online course anyway, I can’t help but be excited once again to be going back to school!

These granola bars remind me of back to school time, and the homemade lunches from my childhood. They couldn’t be easier to make and only need a handful of ingredients! They also have no refined sugars and are competely no-bake. This is a bonus since the first few weeks of school, still usually have the hot summer weather.

September 1st always makes me feel like fall, until I step outside and realize it’s waaaay too hot for cardigans, plaid and pumpkin, so I think I’ll hang onto my summer clothes and recipes for just a bit longer!

What do I need to make these paleo cherry chocolate chip granola bars?

• 2 cups of your favorite nuts – see ingredients below for what I used
• Dates
• Nut butter – I used almond for these, but cashew would also work
• Ground flaxseed
• Maple syrup or honey
• Vanilla
• Sea salt
• Mini chocolate chips
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Dried cherries

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of your favorite nuts – I usually do a combination of 1 cup raw cashews and 1 cup raw almonds, but pecans also work nicely!
• 12 pitted dates
• 1 cup of nut butter – I used almond for these
• 1/2 cup of ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup of dried cherries

Instructions:

Notes:

• You can use any combination of nuts for this recipe. I personally enjoy the texture and flavor of almonds and cashews best!
• Whatever nut butter you prefer best is fine! I prefer almond or cashew in most of my baking! But, you could also use peanut if you’re not paleo
• Feel free to use your favorite dried fruit. Cherries are my favorite, but I think any would work here! If you’re not going to use a dried berry, I’d just make sure that your dried fruit is cut into small pieces before using in this recipe!
• These granola bars need to be stored in the fridge and will last up to 2 weeks! They’ll last for a bit outside of the fridge without getting sticky, but if you think you’ll be gone for a few hours, I’d probably pop a small ice pack in your bag (especially while the weather is still warm). They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.