All you need are a handful of basic ingredients for these incredible DIY protein bars! Perfect for snacking at school, work or anywhere you need a pick-me-up. No baking required. They’re so easy and addictively delicious!
I have a few protein bar favorites, including the ever-popular Kind bar. I especially love their irresistibly sweet-salty nut bar with three different varieties of nuts, dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. But, the only thing that stops me from buying them on a regular basis is the price. At under $2 per bar, they’re not outrageously expensive, but they could easily become a daily must-have that I’d rather not finance.
Instead, why not make a batch of these no-bake bars at home? This recipe is 10x more flavorful than the store-bought snack, only uses basic ingredients, and is cheap and easy to make!
My all-time favorite combination with chocolate is any kind of crunch, and these bars certainly deliver! Crispy rice cereal, three kinds of nuts (peanuts, almonds and walnuts), and a gooey caramel mixture poured over top make these bars an irresistible treat. Every bite is packed with the perfect balance of sweet, salty, nutty and creamy.
Once they’re set, just slice and wrap them up individually to store. Toss them in your bag, your locker, or your desk, and indulge in this protein-rich treat whenever you feel a snack attack coming on. You can even cut these bars into tiny bites for a dessert party!
Want the simple instructions for making your own batch of Kind bars? Scroll below!
No-Bake Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole toasted unsalted almonds
- 3/4 cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Generously grease a 13 x 9-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, combine almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cereal and flaxseed; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan set to medium-high heat, combine honey, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. Stir frequently, until mixture reaches 260 degrees F on a candy thermometer (hard ball stage).
- Immediately pour syrup over nut mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to harden.
- Once hardened, cut into 20 bars. Melt chocolate and oil in your microwave, in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Dip and/or drizzle bars with melted chocolate. Refrigerate to let chocolate set.
- Enjoy!
Can’t wait to try these out! I’m always on the hunt for healthy, yet yummy snacks to take with me and, let’s face it, store-bought ones aren’t always the best choice, both for ingredients and price. These look super flavorful and I love that I get to know every single ingredient I put in them.
Great recipe!
xo, Elisa
These look delicious and just like the Kind Bars. Would rather not use corn syrup. Could I substitute agave syrup instead? Thanks.
i am so excited to see this…..i have been wanting something similar for pre workout snack..thanks!!!
I made these recently too! They’re sooo tasty!
Oh I am so glad to see this! They are so expensive in the stores sometimes!
These look just like the real thing. I’m sure they taste even better! Great recipe.
They look just like the real thing!
These sound fabulous! Time to ditch the overpriced boxes of granola bars I’m buying at the store.
You can substitute with maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
I buy kind bars ALL the time, and I’ve been meaning to try to make them at home. Thanks for this fantastic recipe! I’ll try to make it this weekend!
These look awesome! Cheaper and even more delicious than the typical KIND bar!
I’m so excited that I stumbled upon this recipe. I’d love to be able to make my own KIND bars, and these look wonderful. So glad I found your blog Georgia!
I don’t know what a Kind bar is or at least I didn’t until I drooled over these photos. I want one now!
This is my favorite KIND bar! What a great idea to DIY at home!
These look and sound AMAZING!!
What can I sub the corn syrup with?
Please see the tips section of the recipe for substitutions.
I love Kind Bars and these sound delicious! I would use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil though. Can’t wait to make these.
We have made this recipe a few times and added chia seeds instead of rice cereal. Reduce the quantity of chia seeds and increase one of your favourite nuts. Thanks for posting this recipe.
So yummy – yes ditch the box ones, use better ingredients and still save money! Thanks!
Easy to make. Cut into 2″ squares. Dipped the bottoms in a mixture of Baker’s dark chocolate and Nestle’s semi-sweet chips. Figure DIY saved about $14. ❤️
I cooked to 260 but should have gone to 265 as the range on the candy thermometer is 260-265 and it was just a little too soft. Loved the flavors and my sister who does not usually like my healthy cooking like them. Making them again today – I do not use orn syrup but Brown Rice Syrup – makes it just a little healthier. Thank you for the recipe.
These came out great ! Used maple syrup instead of corn. I will definitely make these often ! I didn’t have a thermometer so I cooked about 10 minutes on med low flame – googled “how do I know when I reach hard ball stage without a thermometer”
Thank you :)
Just made these! Easy to make and I’m so excited to be able to save money by making my own Kind bars.
I used almond extract (had run our of vanilla). They taste like the almond Christmas cookies! Kids and hubby love them. So great to add to lunches.
I’ve not made this sort of thing before. This is my first time, first recipe. My challenges involved a 5 year old who wanted to be involved and thought he could give directions rather than take them. I also did not have as many almonds as I thought, so bring on the substitutions of cashews and pecans. I am unfamiliar with candy making, so, while I understand the theory, I am inexperienced with my equipment in the act of candy making. I think that was my biggest mountain to climb.
Everything came together well, though I definitely learned how fast I have to move when working with boiled sugar. I barely got the syrup stirred into the nuts before putting it in the baking sheet. I couldn’t get the mix spread out quickly enough.
When I bit into the final product, the taste was fantastic. SO GOOD! However, they stuck to my teeth with such ferocity, I was sure I’d be visiting my dentist for a cleaning. Clearly, I didn’t get my syrup deeply enough into hard ball stage because it really was like bad caramel. If I have one tip for people, it’s don’t be afraid to go a little farther into the hard ball stage temp range.
The neat, unexpected thing was how floral my home smells after boiling together honey and corn syrup. I like it. It reminds me of the flower shop I worked at when I was a teen.
I will absolutely make these again. I’m 100% sure what went wrong was entirely my inexperienced fault. I may not allow help next time so I can better focus on getting them right.
Hello
Is crispy rice the same as rice crispies?
Is there an alternative to corn syrup?
Although the flavor is wonderful, they are quite sticky and wet. What did I do wrong?