I’ve never really been one to grab a granola bar at a store.  But, this past year, a Nothin’ But granola bar changed me…

Yes, a granola bar can do that. 

I was exploring Clinton Hill in Brooklyn one day last fall and I needed something portable to pack in my bag.  I saw this Nothin’ But granola bar near the checkout of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhood store, Choice Market. 

Lemon - Ginger - Cashew

As a cashew and ginger fanatic, this combo instantly grabbed me and I bought a bar.

While walking, I pulled out the bar and bit off the end. I literally stopped in my tracks… the lemon, the candied ginger, the cashews…

It was seriously the best bar I have ever had. 

It became my goal to master my version of this granola bar in my own kitchen.  

During the holidays, I even made a few versions and brought them home for my family to taste test.  My brother-in-law and I sat at my kitchen table analyzing the flavor and texture of the bars.

After one batch ended in a heap of crumbles, it hit me. Since I would rather snack on granola than a granola bar, why not make this bar into a granola? Exactly.

So here it is.  

My ginger lemon cashew granola.  It is sweet, fresh, and spicy… and I make mine gluten-free.

This is one hip granola.

Ginger Lemon Cashew Granola

• 3 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats (I mix old fashioned and instant oats)
• 1 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 1 1/4 cups crystallized ginger, chopped (my favorite is Trader Joe’s crystalized or candied ginger)
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown or white sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon olive oil (I buy it, or you can mix olive oil with fresh lemon zest or lemon juice mixed in)
• ½ tsp. salt
• few dashes of cinmamon

Directions:

- Toss oats, cashews, sunflower seeds, ginger, and salt in a bowl.

- In a medium bowl whisk the sugar with oil.  Mix with the oat mixture until it is all coated.

- Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. toss in cranberries and bake for 2-4 minutes longer. Let cool and then break up into pieces and store at room temperature.

Sadly, Nothin’ But does not sell in the Midwest (for now). 

Check them out online at http://www.nothinbutfoodsstore.com/