Cranberry Coconut Cashew Granola Bars

I love making granola bars to have as a quick snack when we are always on the go! I made these for a dear friend that is serving in the air force and am going to ship these to Afghanistan. I know they will keep as they make there way across the globe! They are crispy but slightly chewy! As long as the ratio of dry ingredients to wet are the same they combinations are endless!

Ingredients

• non stick cooking spray
• 1 cup toasted unsalted cashews
• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup almonds, sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten until frothy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non stick spray, line with parchment and then spray more on top. In a food processor combine the cashews, flax seeds, cinnamon and salt. Pulse about 15-20 times until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add the oats, cranberries, coconut, almonds, and stir to combine.

In a small sauce pan combine all the wet ingredients, the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and maple syrup over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is evenly melted together. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir to combine. Let sit to cool for a couple minutes.

In a small separate bowl whisk the egg whites until frothy. Pour over the cooled oat mixture. Mix everything all together to make sure it’s all coated and combined well. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using either your hands of a rubber spatula, pack it down evenly into all the corners. Bake until golden brown around the edges and the mixture is no longer sticky to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Cut the evenly in to 12 bars and then let cool for about an hour. Wrap the bars individually with plastic wrap or parchment and store in an air tight container at room temperature. They will last for up to 10 days.