Recipe: Upside-Down Pineapple Granola Bars
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings:
12 granola bars
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup chopped mixed raw nuts and seeds (such as almonds and sunflower seeds)
  • ½ cup palm sugar
  • 2 egg whites (¼ cup egg whites)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¾ cup dried cherries
  • ⅓ cup cacao nibs
  • 7 to 9 dried pineapple rings (it's OK if they aren't whole)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper slightly hang over opposite edges, and spray with cooking oil.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the oats and nut mixture. Pour onto an unlined baking sheet tray and roast until lightly toasted, 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
  3. While the oat mixture is cooling, in a large bowl, whisk together the palm sugar, egg whites, vanilla and salt. Add the cooled oat mixture to the sugar mixture, along with the dried cherries and cacao nibs, and stir well to combine. Line the prepared baking pan with the pineapple rings and pack the oat-cherry mixture on top.
  4. Bake the granola mixture in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 275° and bake until the edges are golden, another 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the bars completely and invert onto a cutting board. For best results, let the baked granola rest for a few hours or overnight, uncovered. Cut into bars or break apart into chunks, and individually wrap in plastic or store in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 weeks.