Nut Bars Ingredients
- Raw almonds
- Raw cashews
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Honey
- Sea salt
- Vanilla (optional)
- Other ingredients to add: dried fruit, any other nut, seeds (chia, sesame, flax, poppy)
How to make Nut Bars
Step one: Toast the nuts and coconut. Place them in the oven for 10 minutes @ 325F, stirring halfway through. This really enhances the flavor!
If you heat the honey any longer it will still taste good, but result in a very brittle bar. If you heat the honey to a lower temp, the bars will be too soft and not hold together.
Heating the honey may take longer than you think, about 20 minutes on med-low heat. I have found that once the honey reaches 250F, don’t walk away. It will go quickly from there.
How to store Nut Bars
Allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight storage container with parchment paper between layers. For take-along convenience, use parchment paper and string to wrap individual bars-store at room temperature for up to 10 days.
How to Wrap Nut Bars for Gifting!
I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
xoxo
More Snack recipes you may enjoy!
- Seed Crackers (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- How to Make Seed Bars
- Pumpkin Seed Snacks
- Vegan Energy Balls with Masala Spice
- Maple Pecans
- Our Favorite Granola Recipe
- Dark Chocolate Granola with Cacao Nibs
Homemade Nut Bars
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: granola bars, snacks
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
Delicious, healthy Nut Bars, similar to “Kind Bars”! A gluten-free, paleo, grain-free granola bar recipe that you will fall in love with!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw almonds, lightly toasted
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, lightly toasted
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut FLAKES, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons water
- Generous pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- Other ingredients to add: dried fruit, any other nut, seeds (chia, sesame, flax, poppy), vanilla, puffed rice or millet.
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 325F ( to toast nuts and coconut)
- Heat the honey. Heat honey, salt, water, and vanilla (optional) in a small pot over medium heat until it starts bubbling. Stir occasionally. Lower to med-low heat and continue simmering uncovered until honey reaches 270F. Use a candy thermometer to reach this exact temperature (available at most grocery stores in the baking section). This will take about 25 minutes on med-low heat, and will happen rapidly once it reaches 250F.
- Toast the nuts. In the meantime, lightly toast nuts and coconut in the oven, just until the coconut is fragrant and lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes.
- When the honey has reached 270F, turn off the heat and pour the nuts and coconut into the pot, stirring well to coat. The mixture may seem dry, but just keep mixing until evenly coated.
- Spread. Spread out on a parchment-lined 8×8 inch pan, or baking sheet, to about ¾ inch thick. Using a greased spatula, spread out evenly and press down firmly, compressing it down as much as you can. Cover with parchment and use the bottom of a cup or pot or even your hands (if it’s not too hot) and press down really hard, compacting it as much as possible. This will help the bars stay together when you go to cut them.
- Cool. Let cool uncovered on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes. ( no longer) Once it has cooled for 45 minutes, place a cutting board over the mixture and gently flip it onto the cutting board (in one piece).
- Cut. With a big sharp knife, cut bars before they cool down completely (otherwise they will break when you try to cut them).
- Cool again. After you cut them, let them cool down completely on parchment (a couple of hours) before storing. Store in an airtight container layered with parchment, or just leave them on the counter as I do and watch them disappear. Or wrap them individually with parchment and string.
Notes
If you don’t have a candy thermometer. Heat honey, just until warmed. Combine with remaining ingredients and spread out in a parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish, flattening firmly with a wet spatula. Bake at 300F on the middle rack. Check at 25 mins, rotate if need be, and continue baking. For a chewy consistency, take them out at 40-45 minutes, for a crispy crunchy consistency, let cook the full 50 -55 minutes. Keep in mind, all ovens are different, so heat may vary. The key is….You want to take them out when they are perfectly golden, before they get too dark. So watch them like a hawk after 35-40 minutes. If you take them out too early (before they are golden) they can be too sticky. Pay attention to the color.
For example, I’ve cooked these in two different ovens. In the gas oven, 50-55 minutes delivered perfectly golden bars. In the electric oven, 40 minutes were enough for perfectly golden. 55 minutes would have totally burnt them.
Remove from oven, and cool completely. You could place in the fridge to cool faster. When it’s completely cooled, take the parchment out of the pan, turn it over and remove parchment. Flip back over and cut into desired shapes or bars. Store at room temp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 12.5 g
- Sodium: 198 mg
- Fat: 9.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.6 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
The recipe doesn’t actually say that you have to bake these…
Also, a good (unwrapped, top) picture of the final product would be nice.
My mix came out a bit runny, so I added a bit of almond flour before baking.
There should be a way to chang the amount of stars in the rating- no wonder everyone gave it 5 stars.
Hi Gemma, you don’t need to bake these. If you heat the honey to 270F, it will harden as it cools, so you don’t need add flour or to bake.
Oh my goodness, I saw the part about cooking in the Notes and not the actual recipe so I did not bake but still tasted good. I must not be striking on all the cylinders today. Made 2 batches for my granddaughter’s breakfast and for my landscaper who’s going on a jet plane today.
Oh wow, well somedays there is just too much to keep track of! Glad they turned out!
I would like to try this bars.
Give it a go Martha!
Hello,
I am getting ready to a make these, but was wondering if I had to put the in the over. Would it work if I only pour the hot liquid and let it cool? thinking of Lara bar type of snacks.
Thanks
Yes, I am sure there are other ways, but I have only tested this recipe for this way. 🙂 You would have to experiment…which could be fun!
What are recommended substitutes for cashews? We have allergies to cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans.
I would just sub more almonds or another nut you are not alergic to.