• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cleverly Simple
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index (Search)
    • View ALL Recipes
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Venison
      • Casseroles
      • Freezer Cooking
      • Pizza and Pasta
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
      • Cake
      • Cookies
      • Pies
    • Salad
    • Side Dishes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soup
  • Farmhouse
    • Farmhouse Renovation
    • Farmhouse Living
  • About
    • Meet Lynette
    • Contact
    • Travel
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Farmhouse
  • About
×

Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Chocolate Cherry Oat Bars

Chocolate Cherry Oat Bars

By meredith on August 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Jump To Recipe Print Recipe
Cherry Chocolate Oats Bars

Cherry Chocolate Oats Bars

Yep, these chocolate cherry oat bars taste as amazing as they look… soft bars filled with tart cherries  and wholesome oats. Covered in a dark chocolate glaze. My friends, I’m happy to bring this recipe to you from my own brain! I created it a couple of years ago after my recipe for peanut butter bars  were not a favorite among my peanut allergy friends. So, I adapted the recipe with dried cherries and water for the peanut butter, a dark chocolate ganache on top and a more conventional way to prepare them using a regular mixer.  The recipe still serves a hungry crowd of up to 36 people. I’ve brought them to church functions, potlucks and even frozen half the pan for quick afternoon snacks. If you love chocolate and cherries, you will find these simply irresistible 🙂

Come on in to my kitchen!

chocolate cherry oat bars 1

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but you probably already have most of them! The exceptions being a 3 oz. bag of dried cherries (can’t leave out the star!) a can of coconut milk and a jar of brown rice syrup, which I’ll explain in a minute.

The flour used in these oat bars can really be any flour that you prefer. I like to use white whole wheat. It bakes up just like white flour, but has the benefits of whole grain. You will also need a traditional size jelly roll pan (12.5 x 17.5 x 1)

Now, in regards to the brown rice syrup, I always keep some in my cupboard for my homemade granola bars, but if you’d prefer to use up your corn syrup or honey, that will work just fine! We will use the syrup in a simple 3 ingredient dark chocolate ganache, which is a fancy smancy word for “thick glaze” 🙂

chocolate cherry oat bars 2

The first step is to finely chop the 3 oz. bag of dried cherries using a sharp knife. Set them aside and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

chocolate cherry oat bars 3

Next, in your mixer, cream together 2 sticks of softened butter, 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar and ¾ cup of granulated sugar.

When your mixture is creamed, beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, using medium speed. Mix in 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

chocolate cherry oat bars 4

Here comes the unusual part! Put in your cherries and then add ¼ cup of cold water. Mix all on low speed and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Another option here would be to actually soak the dried fruit in the water  before adding to the batter.

chocolate cherry oat bars 5

While you are waiting for the batter, combine 2 cups rolled oats, 2 cups white whole wheat (or other) flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt in a bowl. When ready, gently add this dry bowl slowly to the batter while the mixer is on low speed. When it’s all together, mix it up on medium high speed for about 30 seconds before turning it off.

chocolate cherry oat bars 6

Spread the batter evenly on a greased jelly roll pan. The batter will appear to be rather wet, but that makes for a moist bar!

chocolate cherry oat bars 7

Bake the oat bars for 20 minutes or just until the edges begin to lightly brown. Take them out and let them cool while you make the ganache.

chocolate cherry oat bars 8

In a small saucepan on low heat, melt 2 cups of dark chocolate chips with ¾ cup coconut milk. I like to shake my can of milk to remove the natural separation of the cream. You will have approximately ¾ cup remaining. I put it in an airtight container in the fridge for my next batch of ganache or for another recipe. Mango stir-fry, anyone?

chocolate cherry oat bars 9A

When the milk and chocolate have melded together into sweet dark bliss, remove the pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of brown rice syrup and 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract. Pour the glaze over the entire pan of oat bars, trying not to stick your head underneath that drizzle!!

chocolate cherry oat bars FB

Allow the oat bars and ganache top to cool before slicing. No need for decoration or garnish when you serve them up. The flavor of these chocolate cherry oat bars, their moist texture and wholesome goodness will speak for themselves. Delicious!

Enjoy!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Chocolate Cherry Oat Bars

  • Author: Lynette Rice
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 24-36 1x
  • Category: Dessert
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Rich chocolate cherry oat bars topped with creamy chocolate.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 oz. dried cherries
  • 1 cup soft butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp. pure vanilla extract, divided
  • ¼ cool water
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • 1 T. brown rice syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Finely chop 3 oz. of dried cherries.
  3. Using a mixer, cream together 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of packed dark brown sugar and ¾ cup of granulated sugar.
  4. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, using medium speed. Then mix in 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  5. Add in your cherries and ¼ cup of cold water. Mix all on low speed and allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups rolled oats, 2 cups white whole wheat (or other) flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt in a bowl. When ready, gently add this dry bowl slowly to the batter while the mixer is on low speed. Then, mix on medium high speed for 30 seconds.
  7. Spread the batter evenly on a greased jelly roll pan.
  8. Bake the bars for 20 minutes or just until the edges begin to lightly brown.
  9. To make ganache, melt 2 cups of dark chocolate chips with ¾ cup coconut milk in a small saucepan on low heat.
  10. When melted, remove the pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of brown rice syrup and 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.
  11. Pour the glaze over the entire pan of bars.
  12. Allow the bars to cool before slicing.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cleverlysimple on Instagram and hashtag it #cleverlysimple

 

« Farmhouse Renovation Week 5 (Foundation, Attic and School Starts)
Farmhouse Renovation Week 6 (The Chimney and the Roof) »

About meredith

Meredith is a pastor’s wife and stay-at-home mom living in NW Ohio and is the author and photographer of many recipes on Cleverly Simple. She loves to adapt recipes to her family’s eclectic tastes and is learning to provide nourishment for any bellies who walk through the door at a moment’s notice.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

welcome image

Lynette Rice head shotHi, I’m Lynette. My desire is to help women who feel uninspired weave time honored recipes into their routines to create a sense of simplicity. Most of my recipes come from the treasured recipe box passed down from my great-grandma, grandmother and mother. And I want to share them with you.  Learn more.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Join Me On Pinterest!

Visit Cleverly Simple 's profile on Pinterest.

Footer

Cleverly Simple logo

Copyright © 2010 – 2021, Cleverly Simple®. All Rights Reserved.

No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission. By using this site, you are agreeing to the site’s terms of use. Cleverly Simple® is a registered trademark of Cleverly Simple, LLC.

  • About
  • Contact
  • PR/Media
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2022 CLEVERLY SIMPLE