5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars (V, GF, DF): an easy, one bowl recipe for irresistibly salty and sweet homemade KIND bars. Protein-Packed, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free.
Happy almost Back to School season!! That’s totally a thing, don’t you think? Like, an entire season devoted to back to school? It’s probably pretty obvious that I’m a bit too excited about all the snack-making this means. As evidenced by the following: 4 ingredient no bake peanut butter coconut bites, cranberry almond breakfast bars, cherry chocolate chip chia bites (I know), and one of my all-time faves, oatmeal raisin cookies!
There’s just so much going on during these months. And we’ve got to stay fueled throughout it all. It’s kind of like the storm before the calm before the storm. The second storm being THE HOLIDAYS, of course.
But we definitely do not need to talk about the holidays until they arrive. Except we probably will because… who else loves the holidays? 🙂 Alright, I promise to slow things down a bit. Anyway, so back to back to school. This time of year, it seems like everyone’s moving, packing, unpacking, making snacks, picking classes, going for one last vacation, and otherwise engaging in all the activities.
Even though it’s been ages since I’ve been “back to school,” I still think of August/September as the back to school season. And I’m like, let’s do this!
I even go to Target and search for a new pencil case (then realize I don’t use pencils anymore, because: INTERNET.) But they have sparkly pink, purple and aqua pencil cases!! Who even needs to put pencils in them anyway? New makeup case, anyone?
I even go to the mall to shop for new dorm-ready comforter sets. Then realize I don’t need them because: ADULTING. But then I think my mom would be so charmed by this 7-piece comforter set that comes with not one, but two fuzzy pillows, and a pillow sham, and a backup pillow sham in case the first one gets eaten by the aformentioned fuzzy pillow cases. Or something.
I might even stroll to the unconventional/stylish/industrial-but-modern-and-somehow-charmingly-beachhouse-inspired seating they’ve got at the furniture store. Then I realize that we sooo don’t have the space in our being-a-for-realsies-adult-ridiculous-rent-in-a-big-city-apartment. And we so can’t pull of shabby-industrial-modern-beachhouse-chic if someone paid us to. But then I’m like, maybe we could… Erik, don’t fail me now!
I might even consider a gadget or 300 from the electronic cool kids store. I mean, I can obviously pull off those chunky earphones that match with none of my wardrobe because I’m not cool. At all. But maybe those chunky earphones will make me cool.
Ah… back-to-school. So many dreams. So many hopes, all in one shopping cart. Obviously achievable, right? Right?!?
But then I’m like, A-HA!!! You know what I’ve got in the bag? Erm, not my shopping bag, but My Bag of Life Tricks?
SNACKS!
Take that, back-to-school too cool for school (but not really because, uh, back-to-SCHOOL)!!
The one thing being past the age/era/no inclination to go back-to-school BTS fervor that can’t be taken away from me! And I shall purchase all the sparkly rainbow-colored pencil cases I please! Hmph!
Ahem… anyway, one of my fave snacks from back in the day were KIND bars. Does anyone know whether or not I’m supposed to be screaming KIND like that? Let’s just say I’ve been screaming INTERNET, ADULTING and those other words in an ode to KIND bars.
And now that I think about it, screaming the words INTERNET and ADULTING right next to each other totally was not a good idea. ???? Moving on!
One thing I miss the MOST (there I go again) with store-bought snacks are KIND bars. Weren’t they the best? All the nuts and the good stuff (i.e. add-ins), without any of the filler.
So it’s been my plot, my plan, my machination (back to school makes me scheme for no good reason) to create homemade KIND bars like it was nobody’s business! Allow me to present to you my 5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars.
I wanted to start with a really basic recipe, something super simple and made with the fewest ingredients possible. Then, upgrade at a later date (spoiler alert!!). I may or may not have a few saucy things planned for future homemade KIND bar recipes (second spoiler alert!!! But not really bc it’s the same one as before!!). 😉 UPDATE: the sauciness has arrived, in the form of homemade dark chocolate sea salt KIND nut bars!
These 5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars are:
- made with just 5 ingredients (in case you weren’t listening)
- … and yes, could be made with just 3 ingredients if you use just 1 nut and skip the salt
- made in just one bowl
- prepared in less than 5 minutes
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
- crunchy, crispy, TASTY
- the perfect combo of salty and sweet
- wonderfully refined sugar free
- plant-based and allergy-friendly
- the perfect on-the-go-snack
- or a delicious dessert
- cool enough to get ya back in the back-to-school game!
Grab just 5 ingredients and just one bowl. These 5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars will be ready before you know it! I was literally shocked by how quickly I could prep them. 🙂 Gold star!! Okay, I’ve got to tone down my back-to-school obsession! I’m just so excited to be in the kitchen with you, making tasty and healthy homemade treats. I can’t wait to hear what you think. In the meantime, tell me:
What are you most excited about for the back-to-school season?
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
☀︎Click below to Pin ☀︎
☀︎ Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker and tag @beamingbaker. I would love to see it! ☀︎
See how easy it is to make these homemade KIND Bars! Watch the video below!
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup peanuts
- ½ cup vegan gluten free brown rice crisp cereal
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add almonds, peanuts, cereal and salt to a large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Pour maple syrup over this mixture. Fold until well incorporated.
- Pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth into a tightly packed, even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 35 mins). Bars must bake thoroughly, or they won’t hold together when cooled.
- Allow to cool for 1 hour, or until completely cooled. Use a heatproof spatula to gently lift and loosen bars from parchment. Slice into 12 bars (6 rows by 2 columns). Enjoy! Storing instructions below.
- More Energy Bars: 4 ingredient no bake peanut butter cookie energy bars, cranberry almond butter breakfast bars, no bake chewy chocolate chip energy bars.
- More Energy Snacks: no bake cookies, cherry chocolate energy bites, banana breakfast bars.
© beamingbaker.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. Please do not use my images or recipe without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please re-write the entire recipe using your own words and include a link to this post for the recipe.
If you enjoyed this 5 Ingredient Homemade KIND Nut Bars recipe, then you’ll just love these plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes:
☀︎ Gluten Free Vegan Snack Recipes
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt KIND Nut Bars | Gluten Free No Bake Brownie Energy Bites | Gluten Free Vegan Banana Nut Muffins | 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars | Good Morning Breakfast Cookies | Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies | No Bake Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars | 4 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Energy Bars ☀︎ All Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Protein-Packed and Whole Grain.
Facebook ☀︎ Pinterest ☀︎ Twitter ☀︎ Instagram
Back to school time is most definitely a thing, even when you’re out of school! I’m now a teacher so I guess I still have at least a few years to hang on to “back to school” time. And I’m totally fast-forwarding to thinking about the holidays too, so you’re not alone in that, but I too am trying to keep quiet about it until it’s like, September at least! Anyway, these bars look just about perfect for snacking or even a quick breakfast on the crazy back to school mornings. Who knew an innocent little bar could look so beautiful?! Plus they look SO crunchy, an essential in any good bar if you ask me!
Right?? Well for you, that’s even more true! 😉 Yep, these bars are just the thing for those hectic mornings. Thanks for stopping by, Sara! 🙂
These homemade KIND bars look absolutely delicious, and quite addictive! I could snack on these all day! Hope you have an awesome week, Demeter! xo
Thanks so much, Marsha! 🙂 You would totally love snacking on these all day! Hugs! xox
I love the healthy grains KIND bars, my toddler and I both eat them. Great for my on the go life. I couldn’t resist trying these!
They are delicious! I used chopped salted almonds and peanuts, easier on toddler teeth. I also omitted the salt and added a 1/4 cup of Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Baked for 35 min as per your suggestion. They turned out great!! No toddler approval yet but you have mine. These will be a staple in my house now. Not sure if the freeze well but I may make another pan and try it out. This batch will be gone soon. Thanks for another great recipe!
Right? I’ve always had a soft spot for KIND bars, but unfortunately they’re not vegan. 🙁 Such a great idea to make these with chopped nuts for the little one. I’ve got plans for this basic recipe… and hearing about your subs/add-ins gets me even more excited! Thanks for letting me know how these turned out. Can’t wait to hear what you try next, Chris! 🙂
Hi, I’m just wondering how to tell when the bars are thoroughly cooked? I haven’t made them yet so don’t know if it’s obvious.
Hi Sam, it’s actually not that obvious lol. It’s a bit of trial and error. When the bars are baking, the maple syrup will start to bubble. When the bubbles have mostly dissipated, you’re almost there. Basically, you need to bake them for about 35 minutes–or right up until they’ve ALMOST burned. Lol. When they’re cooling, they’ll start really hardening up. And cool completely before slicing. After the first batch, you’ll have a better idea based on your oven. 😉 Hope this helps!
Thanks for expanding about the baking. My oven has been “off” on the degrees so I really have to watch whatever I bake. Frustrating but doable. lol I’ll look for the bubbling… plan to make these tomorrow. They look fabulous – I’m a fan of Kind bars but these look even better. Hope I can stop at one… no I mean two. ha ha Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure! Oh, it’ll definitely be at least two (speaking from experience here). Be sure to let me know how they turn out! 🙂
These kind bars look so good and so healthy. It’s just what I’ve been wanting. I just found your website site. I can’t wait to make a bunch of your recipes they look amazing! I need a new food processor. What kind do you recommend what brand what model number do you use?
Hi Michele! And welcome! 🙂 They’re seriously one of my family’s favorite treats. For the food processor, I LOVE this one (aff): Food Processor It got me through the entire summer of blending up frozen fruits for ice cream (and making nut butters, no bake bars, etc.). Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the information on the food processor I’m going to definitely check it out sounds great!
My pleasure! Enjoy!
I want to try making this, but I have a question: I am guessing you use raw almonds to make them? I am sorry if it’s a dumb question, but just wanted to make sure…
Hi Christine, that is SO not a dumb question! 🙂 The almonds I use are roasted. Can’t wait to hear what you think! P.S. Always feel free to ask. 😉
I thought KIND bars were vegan?
Hi Nisha, quite a few KIND bar varieties aren’t vegan, unfortunately. Most have honey in them. Either way, it’s super fun to make your own at home! 🙂
hi..pleased to follow you on Twitter and facebook..this is my first recipe from you which i like very much and will post on my social media accounts..Unfortunately Maple syrup is not available nor known in my country ..Can use any other ingredient instead ..Thanks