Another Kind of Bar
I’m not the kind of girl to go shopping, buy a new shirt and have it sit in my closet with the tags on it for six months.
I’m the kind of girl that buys a new shirt and wears it until the seams give out. And then I’ll try to sew it back together with a shade of thread that doesn’t match, making it a sorry looking Frankenshirt.
So really, I have no idea what Pea Daddy was thinking when he said he was afraid that I wouldn’t wear a beautiful emerald-colored flutter sleeve, empire waist blouse I bought yesterday. I have a few upcoming appearances and I though it would be young, sophisticated and cute.
He wasn’t a fan.
“What pants would you wear?”
I have black pants. That are sewn together with navy thread.
“You can’t do a cooking demo in that, your sleeves will catch on fire.”
The better to get on The Soup with, my dear.
And then the clincher:
“That looks like something Pioneer Woman would wear.”
I’m not sure which is more startling, the fact that he knows who Pioneer Woman is or that he has eerily accurate knowledge of her fashion sense.
But he still needn’t have worried. If I buy clothes, I wear them.
Unless, of course they turn out to be bathrobes masquerading as shirt dresses. Or as I realized today, a teeny bopper mini-dress masquerading as beautiful emerald-colored flutter sleeve, empire waist blouse.
Oops.
Okay, well, when I buy food, I eat it.
Except for this guy who has been in my cupboard for three weeks. But I never really planned to eat him.
I just wanted to recreate him.
Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars
Makes 12 bars
- 2 T. flax seeds (or approximately 3 T. ground)
- 1/2 c. maple syrup, agave or honey (or mixture of any of the three)
- 1 t. salt
- 1 c. whole almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 c. peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 c. cashew pieces
- 1/2 c. dried cherries
- 1/2 c. quality chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you are using whole flax seeds, like I always do, here’s a little trick. Or a way to tick your husband off beyond buying unwearable clothing.
Grind the seeds in your coffee grinder!
You’ve got to knock all the grounds out, or better yet, take a damp cloth and wipe it out. Then dump in your seeds and grind.
Pea Daddy doesn’t like that I don’t clean the flax grounds out as carefully as I do the coffee grounds, but I’m just trying to make sure he gets a healthy dose of Omega-3s in his morning cup of joe. I’m a giver.
To the ground flax, add the syrupy sweetener of your choice.
Mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine salt, almonds, peanuts, cashews and cherries.
Pour flax syrup mixture over nuts and cherries and stir until evenly coated.
Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Trust me, you want to do this.
Spread the nut mixture in the baking pan evenly, from corner to corner.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until bars are slightly browned and edges are crisp. They will be soft, but will harden upon cooling.
I was impatient.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave or over a double-boiler.
Drizzle chocolate over almost cooled bars. Neatness doesn’t count, so go crazy.
Chocolate will be wet, but will set upon cooling.
I was impatient.
When bars and chocolate have set, pull parchment out of pan and set bars on a flat cutting surface.
I told you you wanted to do that.
Cut bars into squares, and store in an airtight container. They stay especially crunchy if you refrigerate them.
I was impatient.
And suddenly forgiven for any shopping mishaps.
Sweet and salty.
Fruity and chocolaty.
Crunchy and chewy.
These bars are the best of both worlds.
Kind of like a blouse that you can wear without pants.
Score.
You may be giving those bar people a run for their money with these!
That is awesome. I often buy things, eat them in seconds and then think “I wish I could make these from scratch!” What a great idea.
Also – I’m so with you on the shirts things. I will wear my favorite clothes on rotation until they’re ripped and falling apart
Telling me not to take the tags off new things hanging in my closet would be like telling a little kid they can’t have one of those fabulous bars. It just wouldn’t work 
That’s why I looked at Pea Daddy in shock and said, “When have you EVER known me not to wear something?!” and now I will wear that blouse daily just to prove him wrong.
Hahahah – you are a woman after my own heart
You think he would be excited that you would wear a shirt with no pants…
Well, maybe not on TV….. although, no pants and a flaming sleeves you guarentee you getting a shout out from Joel McHale.
That’s all I want in life.
I have one of those in my pantry too! I love that flavor kind bar, I really try not to eat bars all the time, but they save me for emergencies or traveling ; )
I think your bars would knock out the kind bar one ; ) Love when you re-create something, now can you re-create a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake?! Im craving one, ha! Of course a healthy version : )
xoxo <3
I’ve got a thin mint cookie recipe coming soon, will that suffice?
omg you made my day, YES! : )
I. can’t. wait.
I LOVE THAT SHIRT!!!!! Wear it!!
Oh, I am so keeping it. I’m going to wear it with pajama jeans and boots this fall. I will be a borderline fashion nightmare and I don’t care!
PPS- that’s the exact color I picked for my bridesmaid dresses! I love it (and it’s a universally flattering color!). I never considered adding pajama jeans to the ensemble… maybe that can be their gift and then can slip them on for the reception.
Well, the blouse/hooha revealing dress is really an emerald color, not the salmon, but for some reason they didn’t have it online to show you. But do your friends a favor and do NOT take fashion advice from me.
I should also add that this recipe looks AMAZING. I was jsut searching around for granola-esque recipes and this fits the bill quite well. However, 99 degress with 100% humidity here in MA means… I’ll make this another day!
Hubs is right here, only Sandra Lee can pull off princess sleeves when cooking, mainly because she doesn’t cook. Ooh, did I say that?
Ha ha ha…
What a riot! <3
ouhhh! i am definitely making these!! by the way i pre-ordered your book months ago (actually i believe it was last year!) and i should be getting it soon right? looking forward to it
Yes, you should be getting it very, very soon! Thank you for pre-ordering! And you will love these bars, trust me.
LOL @ Pea Daddy and his Pioneer Woman observations. That’s hilarious. I’d be both happy and concerned if my hubby said such a thing. Mainly worried that he likes her food more. hahaha
I’ve never seen that flavor of Kind bar! I guess I don’t need to now. I have the secret recipe.
I tried to veganize one of her recipes once, an olive garlic bread thing, and the family just wasn’t having it. Love her, but we have totally different cooking styles!
Hilarious! My boyfriend knows who the Pioneer Woman is too, and I don’t think he could name you or any of the other bloggers I follow…She must just be memorable. (Maybe it’s the southern accent and all the butter
)
CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THESE BARS!!!!
ummmm how have i not seen this flavor of KIND bar? i guess all is good in the everythingtarian hood b/c i can just make yo creation instead. alllsssoooooo, if i was to choose between either indian shepherd’s pie or thai veggie burgers to make from your book, which one should i go with first?
happy thursday mama!
Both are tasty, but the Indian Shepherd’s Pie is one of my all-time faves. Happy Thursday to you too!
Holly, you just made me even more excited to get the cookbook! Next week, weeeeeeeeee!
It’s cute, whether you wear it as a shirt or dress.
score!! these look amazing. and no soy lecithin so they won’t tear my tummy apart! you’re the bomb as always, mama pea. off to buy some dried cherries….
Oh that looks SO good!!! That shirt/dress is super cute! I can’t believe that’s meant to be a dress? It’s so short! This lady would be wearing some leggings underneath, haha!
Yum! Loved getting a peak into your freezer!! Can’t wait for the book!! Counting down the days
I’m 5’8 so the whole short dress serving more as blouse thing is quite a familiar scenario for me. I’ve got more “tunics” than a girl could ask for
Oh my, yes. I love sweet, salty, and sour; give it to me all at once.
I love Kind bars, but not their price. I much more favor your version…just need to head to the store for ALL of the ingredients.
That’s my kind of bar! I’m shorter than you (at 5’8″), but I have a long torso, so all short “dresses” end up as “blouses” on me.
These look so yummy!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been wandering through a dept. store and stared at a piece of clothing wondering if it’s a top or a dress. The conversation in my head is usually something along the lines of “that looks waaaay to short to be a dress but will I look like a old lady wearing pants under it?!”
Perhaps Pea Daddy will choose that “dress” for you next time you go to the farm?
I don’t know. He probably doesn’t think flutter sleeves are appropriate for goat feeding either.
o.m.g! amazing! cant wait to make these, they look SO easy! may need to run to the store, im going camping this weekend in sedona az, and these look like a great snack!!
These would be great for camping! I am so jealous you will be camping in Sedona. Absolutely gorgeous. A little piece of heaven on Earth. Enjoy!
These look great! Chocolate, cherry, salty — I’m in!
One question about the flax seed amount. 2 T. flax seeds (or approximately 3 T. ground) — are you sure you didn’t mean that the other way around (3 T whole or approximately 2T ground)? I’ve found that when I grind seeds they make a smaller amount. I’ve never ground flax seeds myself though so maybe they do make a larger volume when ground.
I read in the comments about the thin mint recipe coming – awesome!! They are the perfect frozen treat for hot and humid summer days.
Nope, I’ve tested the ground flax things many times and it’s right–2 T. whole = 3 T. ground, not exactly but close. And yes, thin mint recipe coming…already photographed and written, but to be featured elsewhere. More coming soon!
Thanks! I’ll probably try these this weekend. I love no bake bars when it’s so hot and humid! (I’m in the northeast).
Oh gosh this heat must be getting to me. They do need baking time. it’s been a long day at work. I may brave it this weekend once I have the a/c going!
Ooh yes! I actually have a whole bag of trail mix (nuts, fruit, choc and pnut butter chips) I think I’ll turn into bars. Awesome!
And I always buy mini dresses to wear as shirts. It’s the decent thing to do
Phew. And yes, you could totally do the trail mix trick and just add the flax/syrup mixture!
Mmmmmm totally making these
and I totally want to see a picture of the shirt.
I just realized you posted a link to it….and now I’ve left 3 comments. Fail.
That’s okay!
great looking bars and great writing. you are quickly becoming one of my favorite healthy food/living blogs. I say rock the shirt/dress princess sleeves….especially if husband dosn’t like it. (I figure husbands’ outfit disapproval is always a cue that I’m right on fashion target)
Thank you, Hilary! I love that you said that about your husband’s fashion sense…I tend to do the opposite of what mine says too)
Yum, this looks fantastic!
The bars look awesome, I’m contemplating leaving work early so I can go home and make them in time for my snack.
Also, I think that shirt/dress is a great excuse to break out the jeggins (that word makes me laugh a little inside. Perhaps we should give your shirt/dress a combo name: Shiress? Drirt? I better stop before my co-worker starts looking at me weird for stifled laughter).
I just want to know who in their right mind would wear that dress without pants.
Tweens. Maybe you could make it last long enough for Gigi to wear it as a dress in a few years?
Ooooh yum!! You and your bars, Mama Pea…. you’re unstoppable! PS. i think you should be allowed to wear whatever you want if PD gets to wear Tommy Bahama shirts.
No doubt!
Nice these look good!
I was wondering…could you replace the cashews with almonds or another nut as well?
Oh, of course! I bet pistachios would also be delicious in these!
Crunchy salty sweet is my favorite combo! These look so easy and yummy. Can’t wait to try them.
I was hoping you would recreate a Kind bar – YAY!!
I love kind bars! I bet your creation is even better too! Can’t wait to try it out
These look amazing and so crunchy! I think I’ll make these for my dad to eat after his ultramarathon (and for the rest of us to eat while we wait lol). Yum!
Wow, good luck to your pops!!!
These looks so good! I’m going to make up a batch for my clients as a special treat!
They will love you (not that they don’t already)!
Mmmmm. Both the shirt/dress and the bars. One advantage of being short is that I can sometimes turn tunics into dresses. You know, if I don’t plan on raising my arms too high.
Kind bars are the best! I’m going to save so much money by making my own
And with all that money you are saving, you can buy cookbooks!
(too much? Sorry.)
Never too much! Cookbooks for everyone!
Chocolate, cherries & cashews..Oh my!
I have this same problem…”is this a dress? or a shirt? I’m short…can I pull this off as a dress??” I can’t possibly ask a salesperson because then I’ll look totally out of it (which I am)
these bars are perfect timing I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow
that shirt (or dress) is adorable! love it my friend has one similar and she wears it with dark navy skinny jeans.
your hubby sounds like a such a funny guy
mine doesn’t know anything about fashion or the poineer women. who did you know use to be vegetarian? I find that so funny she use to be and her whole blog is meat and ranching 
hey I have like cherry tomatoes coming out of my ears (not really but I have way way to many) got any hints on what to do with them besides snack on them which I’ve been doing ?
http://peasandthankyou.com/2010/09/17/a-day-of-mystery/
Love the title, it took me a while to “get it” but now that I do, I like it
The combo of cherries + chocolate is really just heavenly. I wish larabar would do a take on that. Or maybe a Mama Pea creation???
Good thinkin’! There is the cherry pie larabar, but if that had a baby with the chocolate chip brownie one? Oh man.
Exactly! I love both those bars individually but together I’m pretty sure it would be mind blowing!
Jason finally understands that the empty wrapper of a bar on the counter, kitchen table, jacket pocket, wedged between my conga drums are being saved for inspiration – I can never not eat the bar.
VERY impressive that Pea Daddy knows Ree’s style! although I think Jason could call that too, since I make him watch with me each and every one of her television appearances… you wait, soon he will know YOU too.
Oooh, I hope you are right!
holy smokes – these look amazing! I can’t wait to try making them!
I made the italian meatloaf cups last night and it was delicious. Having leftovers for lunch today and the rest are going in the freezer.
Happy to hear it, Heather! I know how your boys like bars
Oh yes they do! And cookies and pretty much anything that includes chocolate chips. Thank goodness for Mama Pea’s healthy recipe makeovers
I’m sure the will be some new ones they will love in the book too!
Yes, indeed!!!
perfect timing on the bars grocery store day tomorrow
these sound yummy might have to make a double batch to last through the weekend 
the shirt/dress is adorable and my friend has one similar and wears it with dark blue skinny jeans. love skinny jeans
your hubby sounds so funny mine has no clue about latest fashion or the pioneer women. I do find it so funny that she use to be a vegetarian now she lives on a cattle ranch and blogs and cooks lots of meat.
I wear my clothes out too, I still have the flannel shirts from my pearl Jam Grunge time and that was way way to long ago, I don’t wear them anymore but just can’t part with them. too many memories!!!
I can’t eat cherries, but I’m assuming other dried fruit would work just fine. I’ll make these as soon as I decide to turn the oven on again; a 95 degree apartment hasn’t been conducive to cooking/baking!
Yup, any dried fruit you like!
OMG!! I am going straight home and making these!! Now I know what to do with those dried cherries my husband never would eat!! Thank you Mama Pea!!
You are welcome!
I love that he said, “that looks like something the Pioneer Woman would wear!” =D And these do look delicious!
It kind of is, though, right?
I rarely make recipes from blogs.. but I might actually make these. They look amazing, and we recently dried a bunch of fresh cherries.
Oh man, it’s like this one was written for you!
We need a picture of YOU in the top. Pretty Please.
Sure. When I wear it
Girl, more power to you to recreate these bars!! I love the KIND bars but there is not fiber in my being that would think to make my own from scratch. You’re amazing.
Thanks! These are really a cinch too!
YUM!! Great post!! I’m running to Trader Joe’s right now to pick up the ingredients I need!! Thanks for recipe!!
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
I got a good chuckle out of your comment about your husband getting Omega 3s in his coffee.. Bars look delicious!
Buying something new means it will be used THAT day. I don’t have patience to wait to use brand new things. Those bars look delicious!
This is going down tonight. Mark my words!
Do it!!!
Move over Clif bars…hello Mama Pea!
These look delicious and I want to make them now!!
It’s like the ultimate trail mix bar – sweet, salty, fruity, nutty, chocolatey. Yum! Now if only dried cherries didn’t cost about an hour of my wage, I’d be set to make them!
looks great! tag it gluten-free.
speaking of tags I had a hard time searching for the dough balls yesterday that were gluten-free. i sort of preferred the category way you had it. or maybe just they weren’t marked gluten-free? dunno just feedback you probably don’t want or need or more evidence of my idiocy in the computer department.
I just told Emily (Daily Garnish) yesterday that the way to my heart is the combo of cherries + chocolate. Add in cashews or almonds? I die. You are so “kind” to share this genius recipe!
You will love these then! Hope you try ‘em!
Oh be still my heart…..a homemade trail bar. Thanks so much for sharing
Oh how I love Kind bars. I will need to bake these this weekend. My favorite is the peanut butter dark chocolate + protein but it is so hard to find around us. When we find them, we buy them by the box. Could you recreate that one?
I’ve never seen that one! I’ll be on the hunt for one! Along with some new pants…
I love those bars…might try the recipe with those little dried blueberries.
Gorgeous! I’ll definitely have to give these a try. Recreating bars is so much more fun than being tempted into buying them at the register.
Somehow, you always manage to outdo yourself.
This looks amazing. And much more friendly to the wallet than the KIND version.
Oh my goodness, these look beyond amazing! I’m sure they’re even better than the original ones and way more nutrient- dense
If I were you, I’d have a hard time not finishing the whole batch in one sitting!
Hi! These look perfect! Do you know the protein, calories, etc. for these? Also, how tight/how would you need to wrap them to keep them soft-ish for extended travel snacks? Thanks!
I didn’t do the nutrition info, sorry. It would be a cinch if I wasn’t running errands right now
I’ve only kept these in the fridge, but I’d wrap them tightly individually if you are traveling.
Hope that helps!
I’m so curious to see this blouse now.
These bars look so freaking good. And I just happen to have all of the ingredients on hand. I think I know what I’m going to be making tonight!
Click on the link!
Have I ever told you you’re my favorite?
Hmmm. I think maybe
<3
Love the original, so I know these will be amazing! Mmmm, just thinking about the crunch + chew makes me want to hop in the kitchen + make them right now!
I knew you & your mom would love these!
The bars look AWESOME!
I am huge fan of nobake bars. That are also then drizzled with chocolate.
The syrupy sweetener of choice + the ground flax seeds mixture = that bowl is heaven for me right there!
“Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Trust me, you want to do this.”
Does anyone NOT cook with or use parchment or foil? Seriously the amount of time I save not having to use all my muscles on doing dirty, sticky, super-glue like dishes from all the marshmallowey and ooey gooey desserts I make is legendary with just a simple piece of foil or parchment. Gotta have it.
The bars look AMAZING!
Wow those look delicious! Seriously, how do you even get the idea to re-create or even create something from scratch? Can you tell I’m not good in the kitchen? Haha…I must follow a recipe. I don’t naturally have an idea about what tastes good together and how much of something I should use.
I’ve made some KIND bar wannabes before, so I just adapted the recipe after reading the label! You could do it too, I bet. Have faith!
these look SO good! was this your first attempt at recreating? I rarely get recreations right on the first try. Either way, I’m so impressed; these look awesome and I want them STAT!
Yup, first try. I was nervous, but they turned out great!
These bars are SO me. I don’t think there’s a combination out there that I love more than sweet and salty. Nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate take up a pretty generous percentage of my heart.
Which means I love you, Mama Pea. You’re awesome. And soon I will make your Mmmm Sauce that everyone keeps raving about. I just need to stop being too lazy to make a sauce that is already super easy to make!
By the way (and maybe this is why you do it), but using whole flax seeds and grinding them yourself is more beneficial than buying them pre-ground. I read something once (true or not, I don’t know) that the flax loses nutrients more quickly when it sits around already ground.
Oh, and your conversations with your husband make me laugh. I just got engaged this month, and I can’t wait for millions of these conversations to occur in my life. Haha!
I love you too. Thanks for the flax info as well! And congrats on your engagement!
O.M.G. If it wasn’t 3000 degrees out right now, I’d be running to the store to get ingredients!
Wow, I want these so badly that they’re on my Christmas list.
I saw this recipe and the last one of meatloaf muffins and on both I thought they looked so tasty and do-able. I had all the ingredients on hand and made each up. I give them both thumbs up!
Yes! Two doses of feedback in one comment. Love it…and thank you!
These look delicious. I am so glad you bought that bar with the intentions of reincarnation. Keep making things like that I am sure we will all keep reading, and cooking, and baking. Regardless of what you are wearing. But please don’t catch on fire!
Deal!
These look absolutely incredible!! I love making homemade granola bars like that..and the chunky ones are the best!
Yoowwwzaa these look delicious!! Love ‘em, I could tell already
hehe! It’s soo funny that PDaddy knows what Pioneer woman would like!! Well guess what!! My fiance hasn’t seen your blog or anything but I always tell him about you and your fam and he often talks about you. He refers to you as “that sweet woman that you love with the cute lil girls.” 
Aww, I love your fiance! Especially if he does use the word “lil.”
I die. Those look delicious!
Don’t die! Just make some
I, too, am guilty of the black pants with blue thread!
Yum!
Crunchy, sweet, and salty is my favorite combination!
I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who is like that with their clothes. I have a pair of leggins from about 4 years ago. They are so worn and have holes in them. But I still wear em! I am sure that your blouse looked beautiful, and I have every confidence that you will put it to good use. And I am sure those bars will be put to equally good use.
Wow!! Those look amazing! You’re so creative in the kitchen.
I kind(a) like that shirt(dress)! And I’m sure I’ll really like these bars.
Unfortunately in DC it’s 115+ degrees and I won’t be turning on my stove ever. But you know, inappropriately short dresses are probably acceptable now.
True, very true. Unfortunately it was raining and in the 60s here today. I was wearing pants. And a cardigan. Don’t hate me.
Oh. My. Heavens. Yes. Reading this at work, with another three hours to go, is torture. Emailing myself the link now, so I don’t forget!
Make ‘em, girl. Hope work goes by fast!
Thanks for doing this! I do love those Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Kind bars and, as a dairy-avoider, it really irked me when I looked at the ingredients and saw “milk” (non-fat dry milk powder in the chocolate, or some such thing). I’d also prefer if they were organic. Anyway, I actually bought a bag of dried cherries the other day, so I’m excited to give this a try. Thanks again for the idea!
Yup, they aren’t vegan. These are. Plus I think they just taste better. Hope you do too!
I’m new to your blog, I love love love it! You’re always witty and able to make every post interesting and entertaining. All your recipes are fabulous, I’ve tried a few now (mmm sauce is my fav so far) and I am going to be trying more (like your raw cookie dough). I was looking from an old post in the FAQ section and you posted that you eat veggie burgers, do you still eat pre made or do you make your own? I’m vegetarian and I get the ones that have ingredients I can actually pronounce (like Dr. Praegger’s), so I was just curious.
Thanks, Lorin! Happy to have you on board. I RARELY eat premade veggie burgers now and when I do, I eat the Sunshine Burgers (they are a bit higher in protein than Dr. Praegger’s). You can find all my veggie burger recipes here:
http://peasandthankyou.com/recipage/?search_term=burgers
And there are a few more in the book!
Thanks again for saying hello and welcome!
You have me trained like Pavlov’s dogs. Every time I see a picture of your food, my mouth starts watering. These bars are a must make!
I just love how you share small stories from your life! They are always so cute!
Maybe apricots? Or golder berries?
And these looks so good!! I want to try them with maple sirup, my favorit sweetner! And I would have to find a substitute for cherries, I cant find them in Norway
Happy weekend
Yup, apricots would be fantastic! Hope you have a nice weekend too!
Thank you for giving me a good giggle Mama Pea!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pioneer Woman . . . I almost peed ma pants!
We NEED to see a photo of you in this blouse . . . urgently!
I’m kind of embarrassed to wear it now…maybe I’ll surprise you guys with it sometime
love that pea daddy knew the pioneer woman..seriously that made me laugh so loud!!! one time i was looking through comments of someone’s blog and my husband was looking at the computer and goes “oh chelsey..we know her” – upon seeing a comment from clean eating chelsey.. wtf??!! i honestly didn’t know where that came from hahah
Made them this noon. Based on what I had, I substituted:
raisins for cherries, hazelnuts for cashews.
And added cinnamon, sesame seeds, unsweetened coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and black cherry jam (because the recipe does call for cherries in some form, right?) and WOWZA!!
Woman, you have my undying admiration!
I couldn’t decide if this was better than your cookie dough recipe or just as good.
Either way, WOWZA!
I’m so glad! After eating some more yesterday, I have to say, I kind of agree with you that these are totally fantastic. Thank you!
I love those Kind bars, but your bars look much better! I’ll have to make these soon.
I can’t believe Pea Daddy knew Pioneer Woman so well!
These look delicious and remind me of something I used to love as a kid, but those things had marshmallows. I like the looks of these ones much better.
OK. and I think the blouse you described sounds good……I think I have a similar looking top!
And I bet you wear it with pants!
Man this recipe couldn’t be any easier! I think my son will love them.
So funny you made these! I just discovered this flavor at the store and LOVED it, went back and bought 10 more. haha
So now I can make my own 
And never trust a man who loves Tommy Bahama for fashion advice. I’m just sayin’.
Okay, I have to admit this. Yesterday, after running errands all day and not getting a decent lunch, I sat down and ate a few bites of the two bars side by side. Mine was SOOOO much better.
And yes, unless I’m trying to dress my grandpa, I’m not relying on Pea D any time soon…
I have this to say:
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM……!!
Even when I was young enough to wear stuff from the Juniors section without shame (which, since I’m in an extended state of adolescence thanks to graduate school, I sometimes still do) I couldn’t wear some of those “dresses” without pants. And I’m 5’2″. Even on that Nordstrom’s model it looks like that should be used as a swimsuit cover-up at most. But you’ve got the legs for it, so you can party it up in summer and wear it with leggings in a few months.
Mmmm – my fave recipe is definitely the mmmmmmm sauce!
These sound yummy so I’m trying them today!
My only question is why 2tblsp of whole flax seed would be replaced by 3tblsp ground? Once it’s ground wouldn’t the 2tblsp be way less than 2tblsp because of settling? I have ground flax seed so I want to make sure the measurement’s right. Help!
When you grind 2 T. of whole flax seeds it yields almost 3 T. of ground. Try it, you’ll see
If you get a pastry brush with real bristles (not silicone) it’s the best way to clean it out. (I’ve found) but I’m all for omega 3 coffee…hmmm recipe idea?
Very good idea! Thank you!
Um, yum! I have a BOX of these sitting in my pantry. Oops. They’ve been there for a couple of months. Yours look DELICIOUS (and way better)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to try! And you look cute in ANY outfit!!!!!
Have you been peeking in my windows?
Thanks! (Ditch the box…carry them in your car to handout…mine are better!)
You are hilarious! And I just might have to do that!
I bet I’d make a lot (well, maybe just 12 and then my family who will get to enjoy your bars) people happy!
favorite mama pea recipe? thats easy. the italian wedding soup that i made yesterday for my very sick, very stuffy, very feverish 6 year old. it must have had some magic powers because today he’s 100% better!
and i have a feeling that these cherry cashew bars might quickly become the next favorite!
Hope your little one feels better soon
Favorite? That’s a tough call. I like the original Kind bar recipe you published (haven’t made the most recent recipe yet) as well as the spicy peanut soup and the pumpkin ginger cookies (would love a gluten-free version of those). Congrats on your big week!
Thank you for so many of your recipies! My kids and I had such a fun time making the Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola bars together. They did not last long though;-)
Love that you guys got in the kitchen together! Thank you for the love.
My daughter, Jaclyn, (who recently created her health blog – therealhealthwife.com) introduced me to your website this week. I haven’t had the opportunity to try out a recipea yet, but have printed off many of your vegan dishes and have made my grocery list! I am sooooo excited for the release of your book on Tuesday, and have the day flagged in the calendar on my iPad and will download it first thing on the 26th!!!! I am a new Vegan as of 4 months ago and can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have your website and book as a resource!
I enjoy the fact that you involve your family in your blog. Your children are precious and very blessed to have a Mom who is providing sound nutrition to them!
I wish you every success with your book and look forward to reading your posts!
Thank you,
Karen
Thank you Karen, you are so sweet and I’m so glad Jaclyn shared us with you. I heard that our book looks great on an iPad, so I hope you enjoy it so much! Thanks again
Genius! so yum….and SO daren’t make them as I’d eat THE LOT!!
This looks delicious. Definitely have to make this at some point.
-Amanda Russell
http://www.amandarussellworkouts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/arussellfit
Well, hey, the only thing that a coffee grinder gets used for in my house in flax seeds! No big!
I love nuts and cherries…can’t wait to try this!
These are INSANE!! I made them the day this was posted. Used 1 c. Macadamias and 1 c. raw almonds, 85% dark Lindt, honey as sweetener. Oh, and I forgot to bake them. My boyfriend and I took a bite and looked at each other in disbelief. What had we created?! Too good to be true. Thanks.
“What had we created?” The answer, my friend, is pure deliciousness.
Love these bars! They look delish!
My favorite(so far) is the black bean burger. My daughter made them (she is also follower) and they are so good! We grilled them and what a hit. The above recipe looks awesome and I know I will be making this with my daughter when she comes home for a visit!
Tamale pie, peanut mmmmm sauce and spicy African stew!
These look incredible! (And incredibly dangerous if they were in my house!)
These look delicious Sarah! And Isaac feels the same way when I use his coffee grinder for flaxseeds. Who knows, in a couple months flaxseed coffee might be all the rage… then they will be thanking us.
thank you so much for this recipe! i love kind bars but my wallet doesn’t like this as much. i made them yesterday and i am already getting requests to make more!
Yeehaw! So jazzed they were a hit!
Just came across your blog! Can’t wait to pick up your book and absolutely cannot wait to make this recipe! YUM!
Thanks, Erica! Welcome!
I had that bar yesterday (the store bought one) and it was really good I imagine your homemade version is WAY better,, they have an almond coconut one that is amazing as well.. can you recreate that bar as well!! ??? Please!
The coconut almond one is in the book!
These look so yummy!! I never buy bars because I feel like they’re so over priced. I love the idea of making them myself!!! Thanks for sharing!
oooooh making these next!
I’m falling in absolute love with all of your stories and recipes! And, best of all, I have all the ingredients for these. That rarely happens 
My friend warned me, “Do not make the Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars!” She was right. Made them last night. Ate them for breakfast. Ruined my life! Seriously though, I can always count on your recipes to be delicious, simple and fun! Thanks again Mama Pea!
Made these easy bars tonight. Absolutely wonderful!
Definitely make these bars! But according to the size they are cut, be prepared to eat 2 small or 1 large bar… at least.
They’re so outstanding and the best bar recipe I’ve ever made! Looking forward to sharing them with my big kids @ Thanksgiving!!!
I’m going to make these. I would love if you’d make a recipe for the walnut date version.
I’ve never had that kind! I must hunt it down!
My sister thinks they’re popular because they’re hard to find, but I did find them in my small town. They’re really good!
Hi…I only have raw almonds, so should they be toasted prior to chopping or just leave them raw?
Either way would be fine. I like roasted almonds personally, but whatever you like!
Hi-I made these last night and let them cool completely overnight. When I cut them this morning, they really fell apart, except the parts that were held in by chocolate drizzle. Based on your picture, it looks like maybe you used maple syrup? I had never tried agave before, so I tried that. Do you think that is why they fell apart? Just curious on your opinion since I’ve never used it before. The taste is amazing though and I would like to make them again! They are in the refrigerator now in hopes they hold a little better… Thanks for any thoughts-
Promise, I did not use maple syrup. You could certainly try that, though! I think every protein powder is different which may lead to varying textures. What kind did you use? You could also try baking them a bit longer.
Oh! I just assumed it was maple syrup based on the picture of products… The protein I used was already finely ground flaxseed. Also-the agave that I used was raw? At Trader Joes the woman said she didn’t think it would make much difference, but I don’t know since it was my first use of agave… I will also try cooking it longer next time. Thanks so much for your input! They are delicious; so much flavorful than ones you buy at the grocery…