These soft and chewy Cherry Dark Chocolate Granola Bars are a great choice for tucking into lunch boxes or for an after school treat!

As I write this, I’m in the midst of getting ready for my second jaunt to Seattle. I made the trek back in April to visit the great folks at Allrecipes. It was a whirlwind trip in preparation for a video shoot with McCormick Gourmet but we managed to get in enough sightseeing, eating, cocktail drinkin’ and picture taking to realize that Seattle is one totally hip town and we had to go back! You can read all about that trip here.

This time I will be joined by over 70 Allrecipes Ambassadors from across the country, all converging on Seattle and the Allrecipes headquarters to help them celebrate their 15th anniversary. I’ve had the great fortune to have a long standing relationship with Allrecipes that has brought about incredible opportunities and I’m thrilled and honored to be joining them in this celebration. Paul will be joining me and it just so happens that our wedding anniversary falls on the exact same day. Watch out Seattle, here we come!

In the meantime, I’m sharing a recipe for homemade granola bars cause they’re easy, and they’re tasty, and because I’m busy as all heck and had this post waiting in the wings. Truth.

I’ve baked a lot of granola bars and I’ve also bought tons of the boxed variety over time. There’s no contest between the two. The homemade variety wins, hands down in flavor, texture and overall taste. In this version I combine tart dried cherries with dark chocolate. Coconut and almonds add sweetness and a little crunch and the addition of Rice Krispies with the oats make them very kid friendly.

The grocery list – Quick cooking oats, Rice Krispies, sweetened/flaked coconut, sliced almonds, corn syrup, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, butter, salt, dried cherries, and dark (bittersweet) chocolate chips.

Spread the oats and almonds out on a rimmed baking sheet and pop them into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Pull them out when they are slightly golden brown and turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees.

Cherry Dark Chocolate Granola Bars-3.jpg — Corn syrup, honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a small saucepan over the stove.

While the oats and almonds are toasting, place the corn syrup, honey, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and the brown sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the toasted oats and almonds to a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut and mix well.

Pour the mixture from the saucepan over the oat mixture and combine well.

In go the dried cherries and dark chocolate chips.

Give it another stir to incorporate the good stuff.

Transfer the mixture to a 13 x 9 pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. I like to use a piece of wax or parchment paper to compact the mixture evenly down into the pan. Keeps the hands clean! Then just pop them back in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for an hour or more before slicing into bars.

This is an excellent choice for when you are the designated “snack parent” at your kids next sporting or school event. Instead of just grabbing a box at the store, why not throw together a batch of these freshly baked goodies.