When I was invited to be involved in the Jerte Picota Cherries summer campaign [paid post] to create a recipe based on snacking, flapjacks popped straight into my head. Coupled with a strong coconut vibe – using flakes, sugar and oil – these juicy cherries are the perfect addition to this traditional sweet treat.

These Picota cherries from Spain are sweet, juicy and stalkless, making them a delicious and refreshing snack and an ideal accompaniment to plenty of other recipes in the warm weather. From Monday 22nd – Sunday 28th June it is ‘Pick a Picota Week’, so I hope you enjoy this recipe to celebrate the start of the new season 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 50g coconut oil (I used Coco Fina)
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter (I used Meridian)
  • 250g coconut sugar
  • 100g maple syrup (I used Clarks)
  • 400g oats (I used Mornflake)
  • 200g cherries, pitted and halved
  • 50g coconut flakes

Get making!

  1. First preheat the oven to 170C and grease and line a 9x9in baking tin.
  2. Gently melt the coconut oil, almond butter, coconut sugar and maple syrup until bubbling then remove from the heat.
  3. Place the oats in a bowl and pour in the melted mixture and mix well to combine.
  4. Tip ¾ of the mixture into the tin, spread out evenly and pat down well. Place the cherries on top and push down gently.
  5. Mix the coconut chips into the oat mixture and scatter over the cherries and push down a little. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden then leave to cool (they will set as they cool!). Cut into 8-10 bars and enjoy!
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