These Salted Chocolate Nutty Bars are the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Made with a combination of nuts, seeds, and cranberries along with a mixture of brown sugar and honey, these salt-sprinkled, chocolate-drizzled, healthy nut bars are ideal for on-the-go snacking!
If you enjoy making homemade nut bars you may also like this recipe for Nuts and Seeds Granola.
Table of Contents
These gluten free, refined sugar free Salted Chocolate Nutty Bars are made with a few simple ingredients but pack a lot of flavor and staying power. Loaded with good quality protein, healthy fats and fiber they are the ideal snack to take on-the-go or to keep in the house (preferably in the fridge to avoid getting sticky).
Perfect for lunch boxes, gym bags or to take to the park, these nutty bars taste great no matter when or where you eat them.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For A Chocolate Nutty Bar
Chocolate: Who doesn’t love chocolate?
Versatile: Use any combination of nuts and seeds you like. Or add dried fruit.
Healthy: These nutty bars are made with ingredients you can pronounce so they are healthier than store-bought bars.
Protein packed: Loaded with protein from the nuts and seeds, these bars will keep hunger away for hours.
Sweet and salty: The perfect combination for a tasty snack.
Ingredient Notes For This Nutty Bars Recipe
- Mixed nuts and seeds: Pick up bag of whatever mix of nuts and seeds you prefer. These bars contain almonds, cashews, cranberries.
- Pumpkin seeds: Also called “pepitas,” look for unsalted.
- Brown sugar: Any kind of brown sugar will add some sweetness.
- Honey: Honey helps to sweeten and bind all the ingredients. Any kind will work. This recipe contains this one.
- Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt to enhance the taste.
- Sea salt crystals: Garnish the bars with some course sea salt for a good balance of sweet and salty.
- Chocolate chips: Any kind of chocolate chips will add some chocolatey goodness.
How To Make Nutty Chocolate Bars
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line an 8 x 11 baking sheet or glass Pyrex dish with parchment paper.
- Step 2: Place the first two ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Step 3: Combine the brown sugar, honey and vanilla with a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble.
- Step 4: Quickly pour the sugar mixture over the nuts and fold to combine before the mixture gets too stick and difficult to fold.
- Step 5: Pour the homemade nutty bars mixture into the prepared baking sheet and press it down firmly using a wood spoon.
- Step 6: Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes and then allow to cool.
- Step 7: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and then pour them into a small Ziplock bag. Cut a tiny piece off the corner of the bag and then drizzle the chocolate over the healthy nutty bars. Place the chocolate covered bars in the refrigerator to cool.
- Step 8: Remove the entire block of bars by pulling the parchment paper out of the pan. Place the block of nut bars on a cutting board and cut into half and half again so you get 12 homemade nutty bars in total.
Tips and Variations
- Change up the nuts and seeds: Play around with different nuts, seeds and dried fruit to see which combination you like best. Or make it with all nuts or all seeds.
- Try different kinds of chocolate: Dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate will all work. If you’ve run out of chocolate chips you can chop up baking chocolate or your favorite chocolate bar.
- Make them vegan: Use maple syrup or agave and non-dairy chocolate chips for a vegan version of these bars.
- Mix in some coconut: Add coconut flakes or shredded coconut.
FAQs
Honey is great at helping homemade granola and nut bars stick together. Maple syrup or agave will also work.
Yes, homemade granola bars can be healthier than store bought bars as they contain ingredients that are not as processed.
Yes, you can use honey and maple syrup on a 1-1 ratio.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: These nut filled bars can easily be made a few days before you want to serve them. Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.
Storage: You can also store these bars in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for more healthy snacking options?
- Gluten Free Strawberry Crumble Bars
- Chocolate Bliss Balls
- Healthy Banana Oat Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
Salted Chocolate Nutty Bars
Ingredients
- 1 bag 16 oz mixed nuts almonds, cashews, cranberries*
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds also called “pepitas”
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey I used this one
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- coarse sea salt crystals
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8×11 baking sheet or glass Pyrex with parchment paper, allowing for extra parchment to hang on the sides to easily remove the bars.
- In a large bowl add in the first two ingredients (nuts and seeds) and mix to combine.
- In a small saucepan add the brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Stir with a spatula until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble.
- Pour sugar mixture over the nuts. Using a wooden spoon fold to combine. This will quickly become sticky and harder to fold.
- Pour nutty mix into the prepared baking sheet/ pyrex and press it down and into the corners with the wooden spoon.
- Bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool off for about 1/2 hour.
- Melt the chocolate chips in microwave for 30-35 seconds. Pour the melted chocolate into a small ziplock bag or sandwich bag (right into one of the corners). Cut a tiny piece of the edge/ corner of the zipper bag allowing for a small whole to release the melted chocolate. Drizzle chocolate over the nut bars, then transfer to the refrigerator for another 1/2 hour or so.
- When completely cooled, remove the entire piece by pulling the parchment paper out, from it’s longer sides. Place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp long knife, cut into half (the long way) and each half into 6 bars, making 12 bars in total.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe inspired by A Spicy Perspective
These are beautiful! I don’t have kids at home anymore, but I’ll definitely be making these.
Less people to share them with 😉 Thanks so much Tammy!
These look tasty!
This looks so good! What a great snack meal prep for the whole family!
nutrition info please??
Hi there, I updated the recipe to show the nutritional label for you.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
These bars are so sticky. We love the nuts, seeds, dried cranberries, the flavors are great, but it’s so sticky. I may change my rating the next time I try it – maybe I did something wrong. I won’t use the chocolate drizzle next time.
Hi Rhonda, I am glad that you liked my nutty bars and had an overall good experience but for the record they are going to be a little sticky, it’s the nature of the bars and ingredients. Hope this helps!