Gluten-Free Vegan Chewy Nut and Seed Bars

These Gluten-Free Vegan Chewy Nut and Seed Bars are filled with all kinds of goodness!  And even better, they’re topped with chocolate drizzle.

Inspired by Kind Bars, I made this homemade version which includes raw almonds, raw cashews, raw pumpkin seeds and raw sesame seeds and sweetened them with brown rice syrup, which holds them together well.

Although Kind Bars aren’t that terribly bad, they aren’t organic and they do contain soy.  And, depending on what variety you get, they may not be vegan or may contain refined sugar.

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Kind Honey Roasted Nuts and Sea Salt Bar Ingredients:

Ingredients:  Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts, Honey, Glucose Syrup, Chicory Root Fiber, Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Soy Lecithin, Sugar (source)

FoodFacts.com Rating:  “C”

By making a homemade version, you can use organic nuts and seeds and an organic sweetener with a short ingredient list and they are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly and contain no refined sugar.

Want more healthy dessert recipes?  Check out Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars, Clean Eating Chocolate Chip and Sweet Potato Bars, Gluten-Free Vegan Pecan Pie Bars or my Clean Eating Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy and clean eating bars just like this one that you will love!

5 Fast Facts About Almonds:*

• helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure
• energy booster
• loaded with calcium and fiber
• 1/4 cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein
• high in anti-oxidants

5 Fast Facts About Cashews:*

• packed with dietary fiber
• rich in “heart friendly” mono-saturated fatty acids
• rich source of minerals
• high in magnesium and copper
• excellent source of antioxidants

5 Fast Facts About Sesame Seeds:*

• high in calcium at 35% RDA
• excellent anti-oxidant
• lowers cholesterol
• reduces inflammation
• high in phytosterol

5 Fast Facts About Pumpkin Seeds:*

• a natural anti-inflammatory
• excellent source of magnesium
• helps to lower cholesterol
• alkaline forming
• high in essential fatty acids

5 Fast Facts About Coconut Oil:*

• super high in lauric acid
• rich in antioxidants
• contains natural microbial and anti-bacterial agents
• helps to improve metabolism
• improves cholesterol levels

5 Fast Facts About Cinnamon:*

• contains anti-inflammatory properties
• helps to control blood sugar
• excellent source of manganese and iron
• can help to lower bad cholesterol
• aids in eliminating migraine headaches

5 Fast Facts About Vanilla Bean Powder:*

• anti-microbial
• high in anti-oxidants
• can help reduce inflammation
• contains small traces of minerals
• 1 tablespoon contains 2 g of fiber

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Print

Gluten-Free Vegan Chewy Nut and Seed Bars

Prep 10 mins

Cook 30 mins

Total 40 mins

Author Karielyn Tillman

Yield 8 bars

Vegan / Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free / Paleo-Friendly / No Refined Sugar

Ingredients

For the bars:

• 3/4 cup organic raw cashews
• 3/4 cup organic raw almonds
• 1/2 cup organic raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup organic sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
• 1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch Himalayan pink salt

For the chocolate drizzle:

• 1/4 cup Enjoy Life mini-chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon organic coconut oil

Instructions

Prepare the baking pan:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.  This is an important step because you will need to quickly add the nut mixture to the baking dish once it's ready to keep it from hardening in the bowl.

Prepare the nuts and seeds:

1. Add all the nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds) to a medium size bowl and stir them so they are evenly distributed.  Set aside.

Prepare the sweetener:

1. Add the sweeteners (coconut sugar and brown rice syrup) to a small saucepan and heat on low-medium heat.  Stir continuously until all the coconut sugar is dissolved, but taking care that it doesn't burn.
2. Add the vanilla bean powder, cinnamon powder and Himalayan pink salt and stir until it is blended in well.

Assemble:

1. Quickly pour the sweetener mixture over the bowl of nuts and seeds and stir until it is evenly distributed and all the nuts are covered with the sweetener.
2. Quickly pour the nut mixture into the baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Press the mixture down firmly with your hands until it is flattened and tight.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 18 - 20 minutes, taking care not to over bake.
4. Remove from the oven and let it cool for approximately 30 - 45 minutes to allow the sweetener mixture to harden before cutting and serving.

Prepare the chocolate drizzle:

1. Add all the ingredients for the chocolate drizzle to a small saucepan and heat on lowest heat, stirring until it's creamy and smooth, but taking care not to burn.
2. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars after they have cooled off.
3. Optional:  Place the bars in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes for the chocolate to harden.

Notes

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   The recipe and photographs for "Gluten-Free Vegan Chewy Nut and Seed Bars" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.

 

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