Winter

Salted Dark Chocolate Nut Bars

December 16, 2013
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Makes 16 bars
Author Notes

There are certain, unnamed nut bars out there that used to be my favorite go-to snack until one day i realized a) I was spending way too much money on them, and b) they weren't really that great for me health-wise -- they of had a boat-load of sugar, a bunch of filler additives and some things I would have to Google in order to understand why they're an ingredient in my "health" bar. A little under a year ago I tried my hand at making them and discovered that a homemade nut bar is not only better for the wallet, but -- bonus! -- I can totally control what I put into them. Which means less sugar, less sodium, and a lot more of the good, nutritious stuff!

After experimenting with different nuts, dried fruits, sweeteners and spices, it took a couple tries to get amounts correct but soon i had a personal stash of healthful snack bars that cost me about half of what I was spending. They are the kind of thing I make on a Sunday afternoon (or even Saturday) and snack on all week! It's also fun because bars like these lend themselves to so many different flavor combinations, various nuts, spices, fruits, grains, sweet or savory, the list goes on! You can really gear them towards your personal preference. I personally love the combination of dark chocolate, sea salt and roasted nuts, those flavors together totally provide me with a sweet, but wholesome snack that doesn't leave me with a bonkers sugar high.
Lindsey S. Love | Dolly and Oatmeal

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 1/3 cup buckwheat groats
  • 1/3 cup puffed quinoa
  • 1/4 cup
    1 tablespoon raw honey


  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3 tablespoons dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
  • A nub of coconut oil
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (Maldon is my fave)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare an 8 3/4 x 12 1/4-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside for later (make sure the parchment hangs over the side -- this will make lifting the bars out easier later on).
  2. On the large baking sheet, combine the almonds, cashews and walnuts. Toast the nuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. In batches roughly chop nuts in a food processor (I did about 4 batches, you don't want the pieces too small or big.) Reduce oven temperature to 325° F.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped nuts, buckwheat groats, puffed quinoa, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom, then stir to combine. Mix in the honey and stir for one minute (if your honey isn't runny, zap it in the microwave for a couple of seconds until it runs off the back of a spoon). The mixture will be thick and sticky.
  4. Transfer mixture to the prepared 8 3/4 x 12 1/4-inch jelly roll pan. Use the back of a spatula and evenly press the nut mix down into the pan and all corners. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Place the cooled nuts (still in the pan) in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes -- this makes the process of cutting them into bars easier.
  5. Using the parchment "wings" lift to remove the solid mixture from the pan and place on flat workspace. Using a large sharp knife, cut the bars in half lengthwise and crosswise, cut each section into four bars until you have 16 pieces.
  6. In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil over simmering water, then stir until melted. Remove from heat and use a fork to drizzle the runny chocolate over bars. Let the chocolate set, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
  7. Store in an airtight container for one week. (If your house runs on the warm side, store in the refrigerator.) Enjoy!

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Lindsey S. Love is a food blogger living in Brooklyn, NY with her husband. Her cooking and baking focus on healthful gluten free and dairy free, with occasional vegan recipes. You can follow her at dollyandoatmeal.com for additional recipes.

22 Reviews

Renee G. September 16, 2014
Love these! I've added coconut and chia seeds to the recipe as well just to mix it up. Thanks so much for the recipe.

heasue July 2, 2014
These are really good. I wanted just a really crunchy nut bar, and since I have just discovered amaranth, I added about a fourth of a cup to the nuts and honey. Just like eating non pareils!
Scribbles March 20, 2014
These sound delicious and like they would give that energy boost without all the sugar and things we can't pronounce.
Katie S. January 15, 2014
These are excellent. I used puffed rice in place of puffed quinoa and millet in place of buckwheat groats (because that's what I had on hand). Beautiful and delicious. Total keeper.
Lindsey S. January 15, 2014
Happy to hear you enjoyed them so much! And love how you swapped the quinoa and buckwheat for brown rice and millet! - awesome!
Lianne January 6, 2014
I just made these -- absolutely delicious. I doubled the cinnamon and substituted 2/3 c rolled oats for the buckwheat groats and quinoa. My husband and I had to put them in a container out of sight just to save them for lunches this week. Thanks!
Lindsey S. January 6, 2014
I agree, they are quite addictive! I'm glad you and your husband are enjoying them!
TheyCallMeSaucy January 1, 2014
You shouldn't call these vegan because they have honey in them... Honey is not vegan.
TheyCallMeSaucy January 1, 2014
They are labeled as vegan on the newsletter- but not here.
Sarah J. January 2, 2014
Brown rice syrup makes a perfect vegan substitute!
TheyCallMeSaucy January 6, 2014
Mmm that would be perfect! I'll definitely have to try with that, thanks Sarah!
YoungChef23 January 1, 2014
I don't eat grains what can you sub for that in the recipe ?
Lindsey S. January 2, 2014
You could defnitely add 2/3 cup more nuts.
strategydiva January 1, 2014
If you wanted to add peanut butter/almond butter how would you adapt this? Mix it with the honey or replace the honey?
Lindsey S. January 2, 2014
These bars are different than a granola bar - think more crunch, so I don't think the addition of a nut butter is necessary here.
Joyce P. December 31, 2013
I wish everyone would add the calorie, sugar and fat contents on all the recipes
rinamay December 31, 2013
I agree with Joyce, please show the calorie etc content of these recipes. Thanks.
Dustimily May 12, 2015
I completely disagree with Joyce, I have no interest in seeing the calorie count for these as I believe that anything made from whole foods and eaten mindfully is perfectly healthy. If you do need to know there are countless online calculators (such as myfitnesspal.com) that allow you to easily calculate the nutrition facts for yourself.
Karen T. December 31, 2013
Would you happen to know the calorie count and other nutrition info of these?
Lindsey S. January 2, 2014
I unfortunately don't count my calorie intake, sorry.
MaggieK December 31, 2013
What is puffed quinoa? Is that the same as try toasted quinoa? If not, where can I get it? Thanks!
Lindsey S. January 1, 2014
Puffed quinoa is a bit different than toasted quinoa. If you're having difficulty finding puffed quinoa, a few great substitutes would be puffed brown rice, or puffed millet.