Homemade KIND Bars
Homemade KIND bars are homemade granola bars that are actually healthy. They're easy to make, too, with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and any other add-ins you fancy (coconut, anyone?). Gluten free. Low sugar. For breakfast or any other time of day.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped assorted raw or toasted nuts and/or seeds, (e.g., cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, pecans, almonds)
- 1/3 cup crisp brown rice cereal, (you can use an equal amount of other puffed or crisp grain cereals, such as puffed millet, quinoa, or amaranth, in place of the crisp rice cereal)
- 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit, (raisins, apricots, berries, dates, figs, mangoes)
- 1/3 cup organic light corn syrup or brown rice syrup*, (see * above)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the nuts or seeds, cereal, and dried fruit. Add the syrup and salt (if using) to the nut mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Place a large piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap atop the bar mixture and use it to spread, flatten, and very firmly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Discard the paper or plastic.
☞ TESTER TIP: To make the mixture even less likely to stick to the paper or plastic wrap, you can spray the bottom side of it with nonstick vegetable spray.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until slightly browned at the edges but still somewhat soft at the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
- Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 10 bars. Let cool completely. (You can tightly wrap the homemade KIND bars individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month; if frozen, let thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour prior to biting into it.)
Notes
Homemade Kind Bar Variation
Apple Pecan KIND Bars Use chopped dried apples for the fruit, pecans for the nuts, and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon along with the syrup. Very Nutty KIND Bars Omit the dried fruit and increase the total amount of nuts to 2 cups. Seeds KIND Bars Omit the dried fruit and use 2 cups raw toasted seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds) in place of the nuts. Almond Apricot KIND Bars Use chopped dried apricots for the fruit, 1 1/4 cups almonds for the nuts, and 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut. Add 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest or lemon zest along with the syrup. Coconut Almond KIND Bars Use unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut for the fruit and almonds for the nuts. Add 3/4 teaspoon almond extract along with the syrup. Ginger Sesame KIND Bars Use 1 cup almonds or cashews and 1/3 cup sesame seeds for the nuts and seeds and chopped dates for the fruit. Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger along with the syrup.Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 40mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g