How to make healthy choices every day

Granola Candy Bars

These Granola Candy Bars bring me back to when I was a kid. I always wanted to go to other peoples’ houses for playdates not because I didn’t like my own home… but because of the snacks.

Although my childhood diet included a fair amount of donuts and microwaved hot dogs, my mother had very distinct ideas of what was okay to eat on the regular, and what was not. Honey Nut Cheerios, okay. Lucky Charms, not okay. Granola bars, sure. Granola bars covered in chocolate, nope. My friend’s pantries were stocked with these things, also known as Kudos, which are somehow legally sanctioned to be labelled granola bars and marketed as a healthy snack, but definitely wouldn’t pass my mom’s test by a long shot.

So, I had to get creative to have access to said saccharine granola bar slathered with oozy, sweetened peanut butter, covered in a thick coating of milk chocolate. My teeth hurt just thinking about them now, but holy heck were they transcendent to my seven-year-old self. I would put up with all kinds of games I didn’t want to play, cartoons I didn’t want to watch, even annoying little sisters, just to have access to the cupboard of Kudos bars after school.

The Best Recipes Come From Cravings

My version of this recipe came from a craving, as they often do. Maybe I was longing for a little nostalgia, or a connection to a simpler time when my only goal for the day was ingesting as much sugar as possible without my parents knowing. Good times, haha! Anyway, I have successfully re-created Kudos bars, with massively improved ingredients and adult upgrades. My version is naturally sweetened (duh), uses dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, and I swapped out the peanut butter for hazelnut butter, because it is just way more delicious! I added figs to the granola bars, since they pair so well hazelnuts. And last but not least, I included a healthy amount of salt for balance. Under-salted desserts make me want to light my hair on fire.

Altogether, these Granola Candy Bars are serious craving-crushers. Crunchy, crispy, creamy, oozy, sweet and salty, totally rich and mouth-wateringly delicious. I’m almost through my second batch and already planning my next one. I feel like a stockpile of these in the fridge would get me through just about anything, even 

the fifth, mind-numbing round of Candyland with my son, who bless his heart, just wants to eat sugar as badly as I did. Candyland is as close as he gets. 

Chocolate and Energy

For those of you following along on Instagram you know that each month in 2020 has a theme, and March is Energy. I thought it would be appropriate to talk about chocolate and how it affects us on an energetic level. A lot of people think that chocolate contains caffeine, and it does have a little bit, but caffeine is not in fact the most stimulating compound that cacao contains. It’s something else called theobromine

Theobromine is an alkaloid that gives chocolate its distinctive bitterness. The darker the chocolate, the more bitter, and the more theobromine it contains. Theobromine and caffeine are almost identical at a molecular level, which makes them behave in similar, energizing ways. The difference is that theobromine has one less methyl group (one carbon with three hydrogens attached), which makes it a less powerful stimulant since it does not cross the blood-brain barrier as easily as caffeine does. Translation: theobromine offers a more relaxed, longer-lasting energy than caffeine, instead of the classic spike-and-crash. Both compounds act on our central nervous system, but only caffeine can make us feel anxious and jittery. Bonus: theobromine is also non-addictive (although I cannot help you if you get addicted to these Granola Candy Bars 😉

Dark Chocolate Details


A 1½ ounce / 43g serving of dark chocolate (70% cacao solids) will give you about 115mg of theobromine and 20mg of caffeine. By comparison, an 8 ounce / 250ml cup of coffee contains about 95mg of caffeine and no theobromine. The maximum recommended daily intake for caffeine is around 400mg, while theobromine (thankfully) is higher at around 1000mg a day. 

We need to keep in mind however, that most chocolate contains sugar or other sweeteners and additives that are very stimulating. It is no wonder then, that for sensitive individuals, the theobromine in cacao combined with sugar and a little caffeine can give us a serious blast of energy and make chocolate feel like more than a cup of coffee! Be mindful of your chocolate intake during the later hours of the day, especially if you struggle to fall or stay asleep at night. 


 

Let’s get to the recipe! I use honey to sweeten these Granola Candy Bars, and to help bind all the ingredients together, but a good, vegan alternative could be date paste. Just make sure it has a high viscosity (like, real sticky). This recipe is gluten-free, just make sure you buy gluten-free oats if you are sensitive. Hazelnuts may be hard to find and depending on where you are, can be expensive. If you’re looking for an alternative, almonds or cashews would be the best! The almonds may need more time in the oven, up to 25 minutes, but keep a good eye on them, as they can burn quickly. 

Hazelnut Butter

Of course, you don’t have to make your own hazelnut butter for this recipe, but I highly highly recommend that you do. It’s really easy and a step that will fit into making the granola bars anyway. Just add 2 extra cups / 270g of hazelnuts to the baking sheets and roast as you would with the other ingredients. Blend hazelnuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides every so often, and eventually, you’ll have hazelnut butter. It can take up to ten minutes, so be patient. Add a splash of olive oil to get it going, if absolutely necessary. This will make about 1 cup / 250ml, which is exactly what you need for the recipe. You’re welcome! 

5 from 2 votes

Fig and Hazelnut Granola Candy Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups / 150g rolled oats
  • 1 cup / 135g raw hazelnuts plus two more cups if making your own hazelnut butter, see headnote
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil I recommend flavour-neutral
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml thick honey creamed or white
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml tahini
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup / 60g chopped un-sulfured dried figs
  • 1 cup / 20g puffed brown rice cereal
  • ¼ tsp. flaky sea salt plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup / 250ml hazelnut butter
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 200 g dark chocolate 80% or higher, have more on-hand for drizzle and just in case!

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F / 170°C. Place the oats and hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, trying to keep them as separate as possible, and bake stirring once or twice, until the oats are golden and smell toasty, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and roughly chop the hazelnuts.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Add the honey, tahini, and vanilla; whisk thoroughly until fully combined.
  • Roughly chop the dried figs and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooled oats and chopped hazelnuts with the figs, puffed cereal, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir quickly to mix.
  • Line an 8×8” brownie pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Spoon the mixture in and using slightly damp hands, press it firmly into the pan, especially around the edges and corners.
  • Combine the hazelnut butter with the ½ teaspoon fine salt and maple syrup – it should transform from runny, into a more solid paste. Spread over the top of the granola bars. Set in the freezer to firm up for at least 4 hours.
  • When the bars are ready to coat in chocolate, remove them from the freezer and cut the base into 12 even pieces.
  • Set a double boiler up on the stove, over a low simmer. Chop the chocolate into chunks. Melt in a double-boiler over medium heat. Dip each piece in melted chocolate, then place on a piece of parchment to cool and set. Drizzle remaining chocolate over the top, then sprinkle with a little more flaky salt. Once cool, enjoy! Store bars in the fridge for up to one month, or the freezer for 6 months.

Notes

Makes 12
Sarah Britton
Click here to print this recipe

I know that this recipe will land with the child inside you, who is just trying to convince her parents that the chocolate-covered granola bars are healthy. Because at least now, well, they actually are.

All love and happy treat-making,
Sarah B

Show me your treats on Instagram: #mnrgranolacandybars

*   *   *   *   *   *

Okay, one more thing before I go, just because I’m pretty stoked about it…I have a show! It’s called The Substitute Baker, and it’s going to be on Food Network Canada’s digital platform. The series premiers March 25th on Facebook Watch, so you can see it no matter where in the world you are! I’ll be dropping more details about it on Instagram and Facebook, so please stay tuned there. Thank you to everyone who has sent a supportive comment or email – it means so much to me, and this opportunity was possible because of YOU. So thank you! 



53 thoughts on “Granola Candy Bars”

  • These look and sound delicious. I cannot wait to try them. I hate to ask but I’m wondering what I could use in place of coconut oil. I’m probably in the minority but I loath coconut and coconut oil. I’m wondering if ghee would work as a substitute?

    • Hi! The coconut oil here acts to solidify the bars once chilled. Cacao butter would perhaps have a similar effect and ghee would work but the bars may not bind as well as the coconut oil solidifies when cold. Hope this helps!

  • I made these and yum! Made the hazelnut butter like you suggested, as well. Didn’t have any problems with the bars solidifying at any stage, but my kitchen definitely looks like a giant chocolate-filled Easter bunny met with a violent end. ??? Fantastic and fun!

  • Die Schokolade sehen auf eine Seite super schön aus. Auf die andere Seite sehen Sie auch sehr köstlich und super lecker aus. Um ehrlich zu Sein, man muss sich ein bisschen bemühen um am Ende eine richtige Konsistenz zu bekommen.

  • This was the perfect recipe! Without access to a gym in quarantine, I’ve been looking for healthy treats and this fit the spot perfectly 🙂

    I’ve been getting more and more adventurous with my cooking and this was exactly what I was looking for. I’ve also been using this newsletter to find dinner ideas, just passing it along in case it’s useful to anyone else https://mixrecipes.digitalbunker.dev/

  • This is such a nice treat. What I like about this is that you can customize it to your heart’s desire. For example, you can sprinkles, pair it with ice cream, and many more.

  • What a trip down memory lane. We have quite a lot of granola bars sitting on our fridge. I don’t really like them because of the bland taste. Thanks for this recipe. I can turn this ordinary food into something special. I can’t wait to try them!

  • Oh my heavens, these are the yummiest things ever in the world. Now, granted, I haven’t had a Kudos since the 90s, but I’m fairly confident these bad boys leave Kudos in the dust.

    Many thanks to other reviewers who suggested chilling the oat layers before trying to spread on the hazelnut butter layer. I can see how that would have been a messy catastrophe, had I not been working with a hardened bottom layer.

    The chocolate coating phase, however, was still a ginormous mess. My bars came out pretty in the end, but I’m wondering if you have any tips for how to avoid having chocolate all over your fingers and half way up your arm. Special tools? Special techniques? Pray tell!

    There is something so fancy and wonderful about making one’s own candy bars and I can see these little guys making an awesome gift. In cold weather. Right now, it’ so hot out, when not in the freezer, the untempered chocolate coating threatens to return immediately to the melty chocolate puddle from whence it came. Let it be noted, though, that I really did want to share these. Swearsies.

    • Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you love them and I agree–thankfully Kudos are a thing of the past! I use forks for ease of chocolate coating but of course even that’s not perfect. You could try enrobing by setting the bars on a rack and pouring the chocolate over onto a plate or a tray so you can continue using the chocolate that has dripped off the bars. You have such a fun writing style too–thanks so much for reaching out 🙂 Be well!

      • Aaaah, so thaaat’s what the photo of the chocolate covered fork is about. I inferred some kind of chocolate stirring experience (even though stirring chocolate is not a step in this recipe and even though a small fork would be low on the ideal-implements-to-stir-chocolate-with list). It made sense in my head.

        Anyway, thank you so much for the additional info! And the sweet note about my writing style <3 Especially since you have such a fun style yourself. I was just revisiting your bell pepper bisque recipe from last year and your missive on the giant crouton cracked me up.

        Making your marvelous candy bars again today to give to neighbors as a holiday gift and am excited to try the fork method. Wish me luck 🙂

    • Hi! This recipe looks absolutely yummy! I can’t wait to try it. I am just wondering how to cut the bars? I always end up making a mess! Any ideas? Pleaaaase!

  • I actually made these for passover & everyone went nuts over them. They came out beautifully & hazelnut paste isn’t so expensive in Israel. They added a wonderful dessert for the holidays & any other time. Much better than anything we could ever buy in a store. Thanks so much! It’s great especially now during our Corona times to have healthy treats to make. Stay safe!

    • That’s wonderful to hear Emily! Yes to healthy treats in times like these! I hope you’re staying safe out there…at least I know you’re well-fed 😉

      xo, Sarah B

  • Made these today replacing the hazelnuts with toasted sunflower seed butter . Agree that it’s super hard to spread the nut butter on the granola layer. After a very messy afternoon, bars taste great when they come out of the freezer, chocolate has hardened and granola crunchy. Thanks for the recipe but sad mine look nothing like your beautiful ones!

  • I wasn’t allowed Kudos either, and the peanut butter ones were bomb! Thank you for thinking this up. I’m addicted to your travel salad and am hoping to make those sweet potato sammies soon.

  • I made a 1.5x batch of these about a week ago and have been swooning with each indulgence. I replaced honey with brown rice syrup and did a chocolate drizzle rather than a full bath. So energizing and comforting all at once.

  • these are soo good! my only problem was that when i went to spread hazelnut butter, it made a mess of my smooth granola bottom layer. If anyone hasn’t tried this recipe yet, you should, but maybe chill bottom layer before adding nut butter.

    I have missed your more regular posts, but glad you are busy doing exciting things! way to go!!

  • I love chocolate too. And those lovely looking granola bars. I am drooling. Congratulations on your show. I will be following it. My best wishes to you.

  • Whenever I see someone ask about substitutions in the comment section I usually think to myself “why don’t they just try it and see??”. And now here i am asking, but hazelnuts are too pricey to waste! Could i use rice Krispies in place of the puffed rice cereal or is there something important about their texture in this recipe ? Thanks

    • Hi Anita!
      Yes, feel free to use rice krispies and I agree, hazelnuts are pretty precious! Enjoy!

  • I made these. They turned into a giant delicious mess. My granola didn’t hold together very well and my chocolate dipping skills are weak at best. But it tastes amazing.

    • Oh Megan, I’m sorry to hear that, but at least they are delicious and you have some excellent chocolate-covered granola!

  • Sarah thank you for another incredible recipe, these bars are utterly delicious! It is definitely risky having a whole batch of them sitting in the fridge 🙂 a big thumb up also from my sugar loving boyfriend!

    • Woo! So happy that you have the sugar-loving boyfriend approval and you love them just as much! 🙂

  • These bars look amazing. I can’t wait to try them. Andddd I am so excited to watch your show on the food network!! We have needed this for so long. I am so glad you are delivering the sweet news that vegan and gluten desserts are divine!

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