Cashew Oatmeal Bars

Have you ever heard someone say, "If it's called a healthy dessert, then it probably doesn't taste very good." I suppose that's largely dependent on how potent of a sweet tooth one has. To test this healthy dessert myth, I shared these Cashew Oatmeal Bars with some of my neighbors, telling them that these cookie bars leaned on the healthy side. I shortly after received my neighbors' feedback, and all of them agreed - that these cookie bars did not taste healthy - in other words, they seemed too delicious to be healthy!

What makes these homemade oatmeal bars healthier than most cookie bars is the fact that they're made with a variety of wholesome ingredients, such as whole wheat flour, sweetened dried cranberries, old fashioned oats and chopped cashews. Also, rather than being sweetened with granulated sugar, they're sweetened with honey and brown sugar (the honey adds a touch of healthiness, while the brown sugar gives these oatmeal bars added flavor and a delightful chewy texture). The chocolate chunks in these oatmeal bars are semi-sweet, which also tends to lean more on the healthy side than milk chocolate, because dark chocolate has more nutritional value than milk chocolate. The semi-sweet chocolate also blends perfectly with the other ingredients in these cookie bars!

As with most cookie bar recipes, these Cashew Oatmeal Bars have quite a bit in common with oatmeal cranberry cookies or other varieties of oatmeal cookies. The great thing about cookie bars is how easy they are to make, because there's no need for measuring out separate lumps of dough for each cookie. Simply pour the batter into a casserole dish, bake, then slice into squares! Cashew Oatmeal Bars are always perfect for any occasion. They also make great treats to tuck into a gift basket of goodies and Christmas desserts or other holiday desserts because of the red cranberries that peek through each cookie bar, giving them that festive red holiday color!