These homemade bars make great snacks or lunch-box treats. You can assemble them in minutes and walk away while they set in the refrigerator — no baking required! Use this recipe as a template for variations using any of your favorite dried fruits and nuts.
Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars
1 tsp. plus 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (6 oz./185 g.) puffed brown rice cereal
1 cup (4 oz./125 g.) whole almonds
1/2 cup (3 oz./90 g.) whole cashews
1 cup (4 oz./125 g.) dried cranberries
1/2 cup (3 oz./90 g.) chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup (5 oz./155 g.) brown rice syrup
1/4 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g.) unsalted creamy almond butter
2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Line an 8-inch (20-cm.) square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an inch or so of overhang on 2 opposite edges to use later as a handle. Grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter.
In a large bowl, stir together brown rice cereal, almonds, cashews, cranberries and apricots. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir or whisk together brown rice syrup, almond butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and salt until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Immediately pour hot almond butter mixture over cereal mixture in bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix until cereal, fruit and nuts are evenly coated and distributed.
With lightly buttered hands, press mixture firmly and evenly into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Lift out of pan and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp buttered knife to cut into 20 bars; remove from foil. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container, with sheets of waxed paper between layers, for up to 1 week. Makes 20 bars.
Make fresh, nutritious, home-cooked meals easier than ever with our cookbook Healthy in a Hurry, by Karen Ansel & Charity Ferreira.
22 comments
[…] Recipes adapted from: thehealthychef | williamssonoma […]
[…] Recipes adapted from: thehealthychef | williamssonoma […]
what is brown rice puffed cereal? And what other kind of cereal can be a replacement? Rice Krispies perhaps?
[…] Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars […]
Will agave syrup work?
Hi Peter, we haven’t tested the recipe with agave syrup, but it should work. Just note that the end result will be a little different, as honey, brown rice syrup, and agave syrup all have varying levels of sweetness. Let us know how it goes!
[…] Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars These no-bake bars are delicious as snacks and desserts. Filled with nuts and dried fruits, they also pack a nutritional punch. […]
[…] Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars These no-bake bars are perfect for on-the-go snacks, and they’re filled with nutritious ingredients. Use this recipe as a template for variations using any of your favorite dried fruits and nuts. […]
This is a great recipe and I have made it probably six times in the last four weeks. The only thing I do that’s not in the recipe is I toast the almonds. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I hope to make these this weekend…sort of a healthy way to ween myself off all the Holiday sweets. Do you use salted cashews and almonds, and sweetened dried cranberries?
Hi Joe, we’d recommend using raw (unsalted) cashews and almonds — that way, you can add salt to taste and have more control over the finished product. You can use whatever dried cranberries you prefer; a sweet variety would work well here.
Hello
Why is there no link to add these recipes to our Williams Sonoma recipe box?
Thanks
Hi Anna, you can add this recipe to your WS recipe box by locating the recipe on our site and clicking the link in the top right corner: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chewy-fruit-and-nut-bars.html
Unsalted creamy almond butter (can you use peanut butter?) and a substitute for Brown rice syrup?
Can not find these items in the UK.
Amazing looking recipe, hope I can make it…
Hi Sandra, yes, you can use peanut butter in place of the almond butter; the texture and flavor may be slightly different, but the recipe will still work. We’d recommend maple syrup or honey in place of the brown rice syrup. Since both are sweeter than brown rice syrup, you may want to reduce the quantity from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup or so.
I used honey as a substitute for the brown rice syrup
I just tasted and its a very good recipe, super easy to do !!!
thank you
What can I substitute for brown rice syrup…maple syrup???
Thank for the nutritional info. I wondered the same thing. It’s important. How big is each bar?
Hi Fran, each bar measures a little over 3 square inches.
If you are going to pulish recipes as “healthy”, please include nutritional information.
Hi Kathy, here is the nutritional information for this recipe. Per bar: 170 calories, 3 g. protein, 20 g. carbs, 9 g. fat (1.5 g. saturated fat), 0 mg. cholesterol, 2 g. fiber, 40 mg. sodium