Oh. My. Goodness. The thing about these bars is that they taste like what you always wanted the packaged bars to taste like. The added bonus: they are made of 100% REAL FOOD. If you are following our TesseWay Meal Planner... try these as a snack!

What you need

1 tablespoon walnut or coconut oil
2 cups quinoa flakes
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup honey
¾ cup natural creamy almond butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

What to do

Heat your oven to 325. Brush an 9-by-13 inch baking pan with oil. Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper or foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Combine the quinoa flakes, cherries, coconut, almonds, chia, sunflower seeds, and salt.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, almond butter, and vanilla. Cook over medium until melted. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop everything into the lined pan and press until even.

Bake until golden on top and the edges pull away from the sides of pan, about 20 minutes. While the bars are still hot, use the back of a flat spatula to press down and lightly compact the bars. Cool completely in the pan. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and cut. Bars are best if refrigerated overnight before eating (it makes them a little more chewy!) Store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temp, up to 1 week.

Makes 16 Bars