Cherry Almond Bars (Vegan)
Delicious dried cherries and slivered almonds are mixed into a thick, moist bar. These are incredibly simple, egg- and dairy-free, and sure to please everyone.
These bars are so good. A combination of lots of plump, sweet dried cherries, loads of slivered almonds, and a healthy dose of almond extract. Who doesn’t love cherries and almonds together? They are easy enough for a quick treat and fancy enough for a gathering. Choose your cherries and make them your own.
What you will need:
Dried Cherries, slivered almonds and almond extract are a must. You choose the cherries – sweet, tart or a combination of the two. Everything else you will need are basic pantry ingredients.
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- plant based butter with salt
- plant based yogurt
- combination of cane sugar and coconut sugar
- combination of almond extract and vanilla extract
- slivered almonds
- dried cherries
- turbinado sugar – optional
How to:
These are simple and quick to put together. The butter should first be melted and set aside. Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl and set it aside. Whisk together the yogurt, melted butter, almond and vanilla extracts, and both sugars in a medium-sized bowl for approximately one minute. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until they are almost combined. After adding the cherries and slivered almonds, mix the mixture until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Transfer the batter into an 8×8 pan, making sure it is spread evenly. Top with turbinado sugar and slivered almonds. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, bake the bars for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once out of the oven, let the bars rest in the pan for 10 to 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The bars will remain fresh for up to 5 days if kept in an airtight container.
Helpful tips/tools:
This recipe was designed for an 8×8 pan. A 9×9 pan can be used, but keep in mind that the bars will be thinner, so a shorter baking time will be needed. For better dispersion, I cut the dried cherries into fourths. This is not a requirement for the recipe, just a personal preference; feel free to throw the cherries in whole if you like.
Cherry Almond Bars (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups / 270 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 stick / 113 grams plant based butter with salt – melted
- 6 tbsp / 90 grams plant based yogurt (room temperature)
- 1 cup / 200 grams cane sugar
- 1/2 cup / 100 grams coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup / 120 grams sliced almonds + 4 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
- 1 cup / 160 grams dried cherries – roughly chopped
- optional turbinado sugar for the top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare an 8×8 pan by lining it with parchment paper. Measure out the cherries and cut into fourths.
- Melt the butter and set it aside. In a small bowl add the flour and baking powder; whisk to fully combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add the melted butter, yogurt, both sugars, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk the ingredients to fully combine; about a minute. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until almost all the flour is absorbed. Add the almonds and the cherries and mix until everything is fully incorporated. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the extra sliced almonds onto the top and a little turbinado sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave the bars in the pan to cool for 10 to 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The bars stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
