Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang to lift the mixture.
- In a bowl combine oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, ground flax, cinnamon and salt.
- Warm sunflower seed butter, maple syrup and oil in a small saucepan over low heat just until fluid, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until every flake looks lightly coated.
- Press firmly into the prepared pan in a compact even layer using the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake 17–20 minutes until the top is lightly golden and fragrant, rotating once if needed.
- Let the slab cool in the pan 20 minutes. Scatter cherries and chopped dark chocolate over the still slightly warm top and press gently; let cool completely, then refrigerate about 20 minutes to set.
- Lift the slab by the parchment and break into 12 irregular clusters, keeping larger pieces where they naturally separate. Store once fully cool.
Nutrition
Notes
Clusters that hold: Compact the mixture firmly before baking, then resist breaking it apart while warm.
Chocolate timing: Add chocolate after baking so it softens enough to cling without scorched bits.
Cherry choice: Use soft dried cherries; if very tough, chop finely. Sweetened dried fruit may add sugar beyond the maple syrup.
Nut allergies: Pistachios are tree nuts. A pumpkin-seed-only version needs extra seed volume and a small texture check rather than being assumed identical.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Freeze up to 2 months.
Vegan and gluten-free checks: Verify dairy-free chocolate, certified gluten-free oats, and packaged ingredient labels as needed.
Nutrition is estimated for one of twelve clusters, including the chocolate and dried cherries. Cluster size, chocolate cacao percentage, dried-fruit sweetness, and seed-butter brands can change the result.
