Chocolate Trail Mix Bars

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4.94 from 33 votes

Your favorite ingredients in trail mix, baked into a hand-held snack bar!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Cooling Time 1 15

Total Time 2

Servings bars

Calories 349kcal

Author Tracy

Equipment

9X6 baking dish

Ingredients

1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup puffed rice cereal
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Pre-heat Oven: Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Prep Bars: Give all of the nuts a gentle chop. Add them all to a medium-sized bowl with chia seeds and puffed rice cereal and give a quick mix. Add maple syrup and honey and give a good mix, ensuring that it is all well coated.
Bake: Add the nut mixture to the parchment paper-lined baking dish. Use a spatula or the back of a measuring cup to flatten the nut mixture into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes.
Cool: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest in the dish for 5 minutes. Then remove from the baking dish and let cool for at least 45-50 minutes at room temperature or for 20-30 minutes in the fridge.
Melt Chocolate: Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to either a double boiler or a small microwaveable safe dish and melt. If melting in the microwave, microwave for 15 seconds and then mix, and microwave for another 15 seconds and mix until it is completely melted.
Spread Chocolate: Once completely cooled, remove the baked nut mixture from the fridge (or freezer) and gently turn it over. Spread the melted chocolate in an even layer. Return to fridge for 10-20 minutes (or the freezer) to let the chocolate set.
Cut Bars: Once the chocolate has set, use a very sharp knife to gently cut it into bars. Store in a cool dry place, or in the fridge.

Notes

Baking Dish

We use a 9X6 inch baking dish to make 7 bars that are 6 inches long. But you can also use whatever baking dish you have, or a loaf pan, which will make more narrower bars.

Storage

Room Temp: Store in an airtight container on the counter in a cool dry place for up to a week.

Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

Nuts: Use any combination of nuts that you'd like!

Cranberries: Use your favorite dried fruit.

Chia Seeds: Use ground flaxseed, quinoa, or sesame seeds.

Maple and Honey: Use any combination of each or your other favorite liquid natural sweetener.

Be Sure to Cool!

Don't skip the cooling steps! Cooling after baking is key to the bar setting. Also, you don't want to add the chocolate when it is too warm, then be sure to let the chocolate set before cutting the bars.

Cut into Bars or Bites

You can cut these into bars or you can cut them smaller into little pop-able bites.

Nutrition