Recipe: Charlotte’s Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars

Who says homemade granola bars have to taste like wheat germ? Not Anne-Marie Bonneau. The Sunnyvale blogger and author of “The Zero-Waste Chef” (Avery, $25) cookbook calls these peanut butter and cocoa powder-laced bars “too good.”

Created by her daughter, Charlotte, they feature oats, flaxseed meal, honey and cranberries for a perfect not-too-sweet treat or hiking snack. Mom’s addition of a “flax egg” — flax meal, water and time — helps bind the ingredients and is cheaper than buying eggs these days.

Charlotte’s Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars

Makes 15 bars

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon golden or brown flaxseed meal

2½ tablespoons water

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup seeds of whatever type you have on hand, like pumpkin or flax

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup unsalted peanut butter

1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup shelled sunflower seeds to press into top

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

Make an egg replacement — a “flax egg” — by combining the golden or brown flaxseed meal and 2½ tablespoons water. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, seeds, cranberries, brown sugar, salt, chocolate chips and cocoa powder.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, egg replacement, coconut oil and vanilla extract.