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1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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2
Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.
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3
Place oats, almonds, walnuts, wheat germ, coconut, and flax seed meal on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with your hands to combine, and spread in an even layer.
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4
Bake, stirring halfway through, until walnuts are light golden brown, about 12 minutes.
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5
Transfer to a wire rack.
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6
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
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7
Place honey, brown sugar, measured butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until mixture is smooth and combined and brown sugar has dissolved.
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8
Remove from heat and immediately add oat-nut mixture and cherries to the saucepan, stirring until combined.
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9
Transfer to the prepared baking pan, spreading the mixture evenly with a spoon.
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10
When the mixture is cool enough to handle but is still warm, dip your hands in water to prevent sticking and press the mixture evenly and firmly into the pan.
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11
Bake until aromatic, about 10 minutes.
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12
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
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13
Remove the granola slab from the pan.
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14
Cut it in half to form two rectangles, then cut each rectangle widthwise into 5 bars to form 10 bars total.
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15
Wrap each bar in plastic wrap.
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16
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks; let frozen bars come to room temperature before eating.
