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Nut and Seed Snack Bars

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Contributed by: BMC Teaching Kitchen

Fruit and Nut Bars

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This snack provides a nutritious punch, along with a delicious crunch! Nuts and prunes are the basis of this recipe, and are rich sources of fiber, healthy fats, minerals and antioxidants. The prunes provide the sweet taste you expect from a bar, and the sea salt provides that mouth-watering salty-sweet balance. The cocoa powder is optional, providing a subtle chocolate flavor. Play around with this recipe by trying different nuts and seeds. For a sweetener version, substitute ½ cup of prunes for ½ cup dried dates. 

 

 

 

Serves:
18 servings
Total Time:
145 minutes
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
0 minutes

Ingredients


Almonds - 1 ⅓ cups whole, raw almonds Pepitas - ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons, raw* Sunflower_Seeds - ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons, raw Prunes - 2 cups, pitted (about 50 small prunes) Water - 2 Tablespoons Cocoa_Powder - ½ cup, unsweetened (optional) Flax_Seeds - ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons, whole Salt - ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (see notes) Oil - ½ teaspoon canola, olive, avocado, sesame or any other neutral tasting oil

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine prunes, water and cocoa powder (if using) in a food processor. Blend until a paste is formed. Remove paste and add to a bowl.
Step 3
Pour the toasted nuts into the processor and pulse until most of the almonds are broken in half. It’s fine if there are some whole almonds, perfection is not required. We are just breaking down the nuts and seeds a bit.
Step 4
Grease a 9” x 13” baking dish and sprinkle it evenly with salt. Add the roasted nuts and seeds, the flax seeds, and the prune mixture to the dish. Use your hands to combine the ingredients well, so that it forms a sticky batter. Spread the batter out in the pan so it is about 1” thick all over. Optional: Cover with parchment paper and use your hands on top of the paper to spread the batter evenly.
Step 5
Refrigerate the bars for two hours or up to overnight, to firm up the bars. Then cut 2” thick by 3” long. Store in the fridge or freeze.

Notes

*Pepitas are pumpkin seeds and are used commonly in Mexican cuisine. The green pepitas found in grocery stores come from squash varieties that are grown specifically for the seeds. Pepitas are a good source of iron as well as other major and trace minerals (magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc).

Larger salt crystals work nicely in this recipe to get the salty-sweet effect of these bars. Sea salt works well for that reason. Kosher salt has larger crystals than table salt. If you do not have sea salt or kosher salt, simply skip the salt, and the bars will still be tasty. 

 

Nutrition Information

Calories:
140 Calories
Fat:
9
Saturated Fat:
1
Carbohydrates:
Net Carb: 13
Dietary Fiber:
3
Protein:
4
Sodium:
70

Dietary Restrictions

Vegan