Best Nut Bars Recipes

DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, dates and nuts. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be very stiff). , Spread in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool bars on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. ,

CRANBERRY NUT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 13x9-inch pan with lightly-greased parchment paper; an inch or so of parchment paper should stick up on 2 sides to form lifting handles.
• Mix the quick-cooking oats, old-fashioned oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, mixed nuts, cranberries, and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl; spread into the prepared pan, evenly pressing into the corners and out to the sides.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes, using slightly less time for chewier bars and slightly more time for crunchier bars.
• Allow the the bars cool for 5 minutes in the pan before using the parchment paper to lift them from the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars. Let the bars cool completely and store in an airtight container.

CRANBERRY NUT OATMEAL GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper or waxed paper.
• Mix oats, cranberries, pecans, ground flax seed, chocolate chips, and wheat germ together in a bowl.
• Stir brown sugar, honey, vegetable oil, and salt together in a large microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir mixture and heat in microwave again until smooth, about 30 seconds more. Stir vanilla extract and cinnamon into brown sugar mixture.
• Stir brown sugar mixture into oats mixture until evenly mixed and chocolate is melted; pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Lift bars out of pan by pulling by the parchment paper; cool for 5 minutes before cutting into bars.

CRANBERRY NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and walnuts., Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the flour, sugar and salt; beat just until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine milk and 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Cook and stir until chips are melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over crust., Combine the nuts and milk chocolate chips with the remaining semisweet chocolate chips and crumb mixture. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 15-20 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

MIXED NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt butterscotch chips and remaining butter; stir until smooth. Stir in corn syrup. , Sprinkle nuts over crust; top with butterscotch mixture. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

FUDGE-NUT OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Spread two-thirds into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; set aside. , For filling, heat the milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a microwave-safe bowl until chips are melted. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread over top. Drop remaining oat mixture by tablespoonfuls over chocolate. , Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

FRUIT AND NUT GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease an 8x8 glass pan.
• Place nuts and oats on a baking sheet, and bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly toasted.
• While oats and nuts are toasting, place in a saucepan over medium heat the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
• Stir until the mixture bubbles, and keep it boiling and stirring for about 2 minutes.
• When oats and nuts come out of the oven, turn it down to 325.
• Take the pan off the heat, and when the oats are finished, pour them right into the saucepan and mix to combine honey mixture evenly.
• Stir in the chopped dried fruit.
• Press mixture into the glass pan with the back of a spoon - it will be pretty sticky.
• Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, and let cool completely before cutting.
• Wrapped in saran wrap, these will keep for at least a couple of weeks!

NUT GOODY BARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips with peanut butter over low heat. Spread half in a greased 15x10x1-in. pan; chill until firm. Stir in peanuts into remaining melted mixture and set aside. Place sugar and vanilla or maple flavoring in a large bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine butter, milk and pudding mix; bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add to bowl and beat until smooth; spread over chilled layer in pan. Chill until firm. Cover with reserved peanut/chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Cut into bars.

FUDGE NUT OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat 1 cup butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; mix well. Combine oats, flour, sliced almonds, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in another bowl; stir into butter mixture until batter is just mixed. Spread 2/3 batter into a 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheet.
• Heat chocolate chips, condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Spread chocolate mixture into baking sheet over oat batter. Spoon remaining 1/3 oat batter over chocolate.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

CHEWY DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine cake mix and brown sugar. Add butter and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Combine dates and walnuts; stir into batter (batter will be stiff). , Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pan to loosen; cool completely before cutting.

DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients.
• Bake in greased layer cake pans or square pans at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Cool for 15 minutes.
• Slice into squares and roll bars in confectioner's sugar so they don't stick together when stored.

CARAMEL NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle 1 cup into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan (do not press). , Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. In a small heavy saucepan, cook and stir caramels and milk until caramels are melted. , Pour over crust. Top with chocolate chips and nuts. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until set.

RUSTIC NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil, letting ends extend over sides by 1 in. Grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter., In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg until blended (mixture will be dry). Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. , Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack., In a large heavy saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Boil 2 minutes without stirring. Stir in butter and cream; return to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute or until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nuts. Spread over crust., Bake 15-20 minutes or until topping is bubbly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Discard foil; cut into bars.

COCONUT-NUT TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8- or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in Bisquick mix, scraping bowl occasionally, until blended. Evenly pat dough in pan.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 2 minutes; spread chocolate over bars. Sprinkle with coconut and pecans, pressing lightly to adhere to chocolate. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

DRIED-FRUIT-AND-NUT HEALTH BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dates in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a simmer. Drain reserving cooking water. Puree dates in a food processor with honey and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water until smooth.
• Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Mix oats or quinoa flakes, nuts, papaya, cherries, blueberries, bran, flaxseed, wheat germ, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix in date puree. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more cooking water. Press mixture into pan.
• Bake until center is firm and edges are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 bars.

CARAMEL-NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides; set aside. Spread nuts on another rimmed baking sheet. Toast until nuts are fragrant and lightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a clean surface; spread evenly, and let cool completely. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 2 sticks of butter with the brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With mixer on low speed, add flour and a pinch of salt; mix until just combined.
• Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet, and cover with parchment paper. Using a wine bottle or small rolling pin, roll along the length of pan to smooth dough. (Alternatively, press the dough into the pan with the back of a large spoon.) Bake until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine granulated sugar, cream of tartar, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 cupwater in a wide, heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until some sugar begins to melt and turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until sugar is completely melted, mixture is deep golden, and a candy thermometer registers 300 degrees (hard-crack stage). Stirring constantly, carefully pour cream slowly down the side of the pan (it will spatter) until fully combined. Remove from heat; add remaining 1/4 stick butter and stirto combine.Transfer caramel to a heatproof bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
• Stir in nuts; spread caramel mixture over cooled crust. Bake until caramel is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 3-by-2-inch bars. Bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

MOM'S DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• 1. Butter or spray a 13x9-inch baking pan;set aside. Heat oven to 350^.
• 2. Beat eggs until foamy and then beat in granulated sugar in gradually. Stir dry ingredients together. Add dates and nuts to flour mixture, then stir into egg mixture.
• 3. Spread mixture(which is thick) into the prepared pan. Bake until firm and delicately brown, bake about 25-30 minutes, so they do not get dry. When just a tad warm and not hot cut into long finger shape bars and roll in powdered sugar.;or place some powdered sugar in a small bag and add a piece or 2 and gently shake to coat evenly, shake off any excess.

STARBUCKS CHEWY FRUIT AND NUT BARS

Steps:

• Ingredient note: look in your health food aisle for a healthy alternative to Rice Krispies. The brand I found is made by Enviro-Kidz and uses BROWN rice.
• Prepare 9x13 pan with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper).
• In a large mixing bowl, toss all dry ingredients. Feel free to substitute your preferred nut or dried fruit.
• In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and allow to boil one minute. (Note: boiling the sugars is what helps the bars become firm and not sticky, so this step is important).
• After boiling, turn off heat; add vanilla and peanut butter. QUICKLY pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredients and toss to combine.
• Pour warm mixture into prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture down into the pan to compress the bars so they will slice evenly.
• When cool, use a sharp knife to cut into 18 bars (1 long lengthwise cut and 9 cuts across). Enjoy with a hot cup of Starbucks coffee for an authentic experience!
• Note: Starbucks does not list corn syrup in their ingredients, but the sweetener in their list is not readily available. I tried using Maple Syrup, but the bars were very crumbly and would not stay together in bars. Therefore, I found that Corn Syrup is the best ingredient that is readily available.

COCONUT CHIP NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine milk and 1 cup chocolate chips; cook and stir over low heat until smooth and chips are melted. Stir in vanilla. , Pour over crust. Sprinkle with walnuts and remaining chocolate chips. Top with coconut and toffee bits. Gently press down into chocolate layer. Bake 18-20 minutes longer or until firm. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.