Nut Bars Ingredient notes
- Raw almonds
- Raw cashews
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- honey
- 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 in the oven, for 10 minutes @ 325F , stirring halfway through. This really enhances the flavor!
Heat the honey, water, and a pinch of salt, on med-low heat until it reaches 270F (hard ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Please see the recipe notes if you don’t have a candy thermometer!
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.
Wrap Nut Bars for Gifting!
I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
xoxo
More Snack recipes you may enjoy!
- How to Make Seed Bars
- Sprouted Pumpkin Seed Snacks
- Vegan Energy Balls with Masala Spice
- Maple Pecans
Homemade Nut Bars
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 bars
- Category: snacks, granola bars,
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
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 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. You need to use a candy thermometer to get this exact ( 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.
- In the mean time, lightly toast nuts and coconut, in the oven, just until coconut is fragrant and lightly golden about 8-10 minutes.
- When honey has reached 270F, turn heat off and pour the nuts and coconuts into the pot, stirring well to coat. Mixture may seem dry, but just keep mixing, until evenly coated. 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. Let cool uncovered on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes. ( no longer)
- Once it has cooled 45 minutes, place a cutting board over the mixure and gently flip it onto the cutting board (in one piece). With a big sharp knife, cut bars before they cool down completely (otherwise they will break when you try to cut them).
- After you cut them, let them cool down completely on parchment (a couple hours) before storing. Store in an air tight container layered with parchment, or just leave them on the counter like 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
Hi – could you tell me if you could use coconut milk instead of water with the honey when you are heating it?
Helen, I’m not sure? I have never tried! If you do try it, let me know!!
I was looking to make theses bars with raisins flax seeds and chai. Would you put those ingridents in the tray too when roasting the nuts and coconut?
No, they don’t need to be roasted. Just fold them in at the end. 😉
Trying with maple syrup instead of honey. Looks and smells amazing, but not sticking together. Boiling more maple syrup mixture to pour over top to see what happens. Fingers crossed!
I think I tried it with Maple too, and had difficulty getting it to stick together…I may not have heated it enough? Good luck …let me know how it turns out!!
Didn’t stick. I ended up simmering two mashed bananas with almond butter then mixed in the loose granola. Pressed in pan and baked it for 20 minutes. Ended up with delicious bars!
can i use oats because i don’t like coconut i have been looking for this kind of bar for 2 today i think i have found the right one to make i am start i a 21 day diet and i need something like . Thank You.
Give it a try. I’ve never tried it with oats, but don’t know why it wouldn’t work? Good luck with your diet! All the best to you Joann!
I made thsee yesterday and they were exactly what I was looking for, close to the Kind bar version. I didn’t have a thermometer so I just boiled the honey on medium low for about 20 minutes and added the rest of the ingredients. The texture was chewy and overall it was just fantastic. This will definitely be a staple.
Great recipe , im gonna try it out, how much water is needed? what does T mean
Thanks Sara…T is a tablespoon. 🙂
I was looking for a good recipe for granola bars without the added fillers an preservatives. This one is spot on! My athlete-teen loves them! They pack well and are really simple to make. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks Kipp– so glad you like it!
You say to use an 8×8, but you appear to be using a 9×13 in your photos. Do they still work in an 8×8?
It’s a strange size pan …. 6 x 9 🙂
Calculated via MyFitnessPal.com, as written above, per bar:
223 calories, total fat 15.2 grams, saturated fat 0.6 grams, polyunsaturated fat 0.6 grams, monounsaturated fat 2.1 grams, trans fat 0.0 grams, cholesterol 2.4 milligrams, sodium 18.7 milligrams, potassium 90 point 5 milligrams, total carb 21.1 grams, dietary fiber 2.9 grams, sugars 15. 6 grams, protein 4.6 grams, vitamin A 0.0%, vitamin C 0.1%, calcium 0.7%, iron 4.6%
Why do we have to preheat oven to 325F?
Sorry about that my directions were not clear… Preheat the oven to toast the nuts and coconut.
Im not sure….If you try freezing, please let us know!!!
See above Nutritional Values…based on 12 bars.
These look so good and must be so crunchy!
These are great! I added chia too. You nailed the Kind bar with this recipe for sure. Thank you.
Chia is a great idea!! Thanks!
The first time I made these they were perfect, but the last 2 times they haven’t set. I’m wondering if my candy thermometer might be out as it’s definitely reading 260F. Awesome recipe!
I wonder if its the thermometer?
Maybe it is because you should be heating the honey mixture to 270F.
Hi Sylvia! I’m gonna make those today 🙂 I was wondering if I could add oats and dried fruit?
I think that would work, but you many need to increase the honey/water…so it doesn’t get too dry.
I’m going to try them without the coconut- I’m allergic!
The bars taste great! The only problem I had was cutting them into bars they just broke up into chunks, maybe I let them cool too long. I have tried many healthy bar recipes and this one by far tastes the best. Thank you for the recipe!
Christina, cut the bars before they completely cool down, when they are still just slightly soft, about 20 minutes after putting it together.
Just made these, and they are currently cooling! I have been searching for a recipe for quite a while now that is a good ‘snack bar’ recipe for my husband to take to work. I am looking forward to seeing what he thinks of them when they are cool! I put vegan chocolate chips in them too…the really smell good!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Great! Let me know what you think. Cheers!
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Hi,
Can you use rice syrup or agave instead of honey?
So, I tried using rice syrup and when heated to 255F, it became rock hard and I had to throw it out. I didn’t play around with it enough to see if it could work if heated to a lower temp. If you try it, please let me know, Im curious. Have not tried with agave.
I love this recipe, no sugar – no oil 🙂 I am all for it. As you mention, I never soaked my nuts to use in bars – I am excited to try it after reading your post. Do you think it will decrease the shelf life compare to dry nuts?
I would like to try this at home Sylvia. Surely this Coconut Almond Bar is another chef expertise. I will try a different peanut since almond has been rare in our town. My kids love sweets and this one is new to them.
Peanuts would taste great too!
The bars look great, but gosh, I’m so distracted by all the lovely things: the scissors, the copper pot, what looks like an old percolator on the stove, the baking dish. Love! Haha, easily distracted….love it. 🙂
Thanks Amy-Lyn!
Gosh I noticed the scissors but had to go back and look for the percolator. Absolutely beautiful!
The bars looks so good, all great things packed in one.
These bars look totally perfect!
i love these bars!! i was diagnosed with celiac and finding something for my sweet tooth is hard.. my friends all love them.. third time i have made them this summer.. i added a little fresh ginger this time.. Its addition was good..
Shannon! I’m so glad you like them, and love how you added ginger! A great idea! Im working on a snack that will be very similar…check back next week!