I modeled this after a Martha Stewart recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 14–16 ounces rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/3 cup cranberries (I use the sweetened ones, like Ocean Spray) soaked in 2/3 cup water or a little more
• 2–4 oz dark chocolate or more, chopped
• 4–5 egg whites

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center position. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment. You can use a smaller dish; they will be thicker and you may need to bake them longer.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, almond butter, cranberries and their liquid, and egg whites. Add the other ingredients and a bit more water to make a thick batter

3. Spread the oats in the baking dish and pack firmly. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until barely golden on top and along the edges. Don’t overbake. It’s not as good.

4. Cool completely.

5. Remove cooled mixture to a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide bars. Store in an airtight container.

NOTES

You have to like your oats fairly crunchy. This also tends to be a little dry and crumbly, probably because of using only egg whites. Including the yolks or adding something like apple sauce would probably moisten it.

I like it because it’s not overly sweet and I don’t mind that the pieces crumble apart a little.