Nut Crunch Bars

Hey there :)

Haven’t had a lot with nuts lately up here so I thought it might be time again. Especially since the weather is getting colder and the fats from the nuts can help one staying warm and feeling cozy .

hah.. nuts are great…

Those bars a quite heavy. They are not a light snack, not at all. Actually they are pretty high in calories and they do taste like it. But they are full of healthy fats and fiber that will fill you for quite some time. And they are a nice autumn-treat, together with some warm milk, hot chocolate, or chai or whatever it is you like to drink :) So yiu might not want to have 5 a day, but one day is pretty awesome to have. And they last longer like this :)

They are a little fragile when still warm, so let them cool before slicing and handle with care when they are out of the oven. Otherwise you end up with some delicious crumble that you can sprinkle on top of some oatmeal or yoghurt. Which is also nice ;)

Ingredients

for the Base

• 1 Cup / 140g left over nut pulp from nutmilk or almond meal
• ¼ Cup / 25g rolled oats
• 1/3 Cup / 90g nutbutter of choice (I have used hazelnut)
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. lucuma powder
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• pinch of salt

for the nut crunch

• 1 ¼ Cup / 180g mixed nuts (this will give a real big nut crunch crust. You can reduce this a bit if you want)
• 3-4 Tbsp. Honey or rice syrup for a vegan version
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• pinch of coarse sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 175°C.

Start with the base: In a bowl simply mix all ingredients together until combined. You will have a thick, just slightly sticky mass. Press the mass with your hands in a loaf pan (or a brownie pan, I just don’t have one) that is lined with a baking sheet. With your hands or a spoon even it out.

In the oven (175°C) bake for about 15-18 minutes

In the meantime prepare for the nut crunch: In a pan over medium heat stir together the honey (or rice syrup) and the coconut. Reduce the heat a bit and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add the nuts and salt and cover them in the liquid.

Take the base out of the oven and put the nut crunch on top of the base. Gently press down with a spoon.

Return everything to the oven (still at 175°C) and bake for another 25 minutes.

Take out, let cool and cut into rectangles or squares.