Nuts and Fruits Energy Bars {Homemade Kind Bars}
Yield: 10 bars
These Nuts and Fruits Energy Bars, basically homemade KIND Bars, are awesome to have around!
Ingredients
- ½ c. roughly chopped dry roasted peanuts
- ½ c. roughly chopped dry roasted almonds
- ½ c. roughly chopped cashews
- ⅓ c. crispy rice cereal
- ¼ c. chopped dried cherries
- ¼ c. dried wild blueberries I love the ones from Trader Joe's
- ⅓ c. brown rice syrup look for it in the organic section of your grocery store
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 oz. chopped about 1/4" size good quality bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate bar)
Instructions
- * Just a note before you start. Don't skip the rough chop of the nuts or the chop of the dried cherries. Chopping is necessary for getting the right consistency so the bars stay together. Just a rough chop will do - don't get the pieces too fine. And if you are not using the two kinds of dry roasted nuts, as I have specified, you'll probably want to add some salt to the mix.
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together peanuts, almonds, cashews, rice cereal, cherries, and wild blueberries. Drizzle brown rice syrup over the mixture and then fold to thoroughly combine. Add vanilla and cinnamon and fold again. Add chopped chocolate and fold again.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press the mixture evenly and very firmly into the pan. The mixture should be as flattened and firmly packed as you can manage. The mixture will be sticky. It helps to use a piece of wax paper to press it into the pan, or place some butter on your fingertips for better maneuverability.
- Place pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until slightly browned at the edges and just a bit soft in the center. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes before transferring the bars in the parchment paper lining to a cutting board. Cut into 10 bars. The brown rice syrup will be a bit soft yet, but will become more solid as it cools completely.
- Store at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days, with each bar individually wrapped in parchment paper. Freeze any bars that won't be eaten within 5 days, wrapped in parchment paper and stored in a plastic freezer bag.
Notes
Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria, originally from Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook by Camilla V. Saulsbury.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 232kcal Carbohydrates: 19g Protein: 6g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g Sodium: 125mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.