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Who doesn’t love a good clean Holiday recipe?! I stumbled on this amazing one using cherries and it came out SOOO good.

First off, there are several awesome benefits that these sweet little cherries boast. They are actually a good choice for diabetics with a low glycemic index of 22.

Tart cherries can also boast cardiovascular benefits. The antho-cyanins, which are the pigments giving cherries their red color may activate PPAR which regulates genes involved in fat & glucose metabolism (can you just hear me yelling ‘woot woot!’)

Cherries are also very high in potassium and packed with antioxidants.

Remember, the foods you ingest contain so many vital nutrients. Start to pack your diet full of healthy rich (REAL) foods to help nourish that body of yours. Now that we’ve covered the benefits of cherries, let’s get to the good stuff.

I love a good recipe! I don’t splurge on dessert often and when I do, I make sure it is with only the best ingredients and modified to be as healthy as possible.

If you are willing to take a little bit more time to make your own desserts & modify where needed you will find that it helps you get through the Holidays while still enjoying the occasional treat and not feeling deprived the least little bit.

I love the idea of ‘bars’ because you can cut into equal portions to enjoy. Pack away what you don’t use and enjoy for a treat later in the week.

CRUST: 

2.5 cups of almond flour

2 tbsp of tapioca granules or flour (I used granules)

1/3 Cup of Grass Fed Butter

1/4 Cup of Raw Local Honey

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt

(NOTE: The mixture will seem a little dry until you form in the pan and press down/form with your hands. If you prefer a wetter mixture simply add a little more melted grass fed butter. See instructions below)

FILLING: 

3 Cups of Pitted Whole Organic Cherries (I ONLY use organic as these are a highly sprayed crop) **I used frozen cherries!

1/4 Cup of Raw Local Honey

1 Tablespoon of Tapioca granules or Tapioca Flour.

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

CRUMB TOPPING: 

1 Cup Almond Flour

1.5 Tablespoon of Grass Fed Butter

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat Oven to 360 degrees
2. Line an 8 by 8 pan with parchment paper
3. Combine Crust Ingredients (See Notes Above) Press into the bottom of the pan.
4. Bake Crust for 12-15 minutes (depending on ovens)
5. While crust is baking, combine your filling ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. (Mine didn’t exactly boil but the cherries softened greatly and the mixture formed into a liquid consistency and softened up ALOT)
6. Reduce heat and continue mixing often.
7. In a bowl, mix together crumb toppings
8. Remove crust and add the filling on top. Then drop the crumb mixture on top of the filling.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on oven. I waited 20 minutes and then decided to put back in for another 5.
10. Remove from oven and let cool COMPLETELY before serving. I covered mine with parchment and placed in the fridge to help it cool. In my opinion it tasted better fully cooled.
11. Store in fridge

There you have it! I hope you enjoy this delicious and super simple recipe for ‘Cherry Bomb Bars’. I named them this because they are the BOMB! 🙂 Let us know how you like them by commenting and sharing this recipe with your friends and on social media.

In the meantime, have a blessed (and healthy) thanksgiving with your family and friends.

In health,

Alex & Ashley Poptodorov