Homemade Kind Bars
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Packed with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, these homemade Kind bars are truly addictive. They are healthier than the original bars and super easy to make.
In an effort to keep my diet clean and balanced, I’ve grown into making my own snack bars. From homemade protein bars to no bake oatmeal bars, I have a good collection of them.
That said, I can’t deny that some store-bought ones still taste good to me- KIND bars being one of them. As delicious as they are, they do contain added sugar and a few ingredients I’d rather skip, like soy lecithin and palm kernel oil. So, I made it my mission to recreate them at home.
It took a fair bit of recipe testing to get right (it’s SO hard to bind nuts and seeds using less sweetener!), but I finally cracked it: copycat bars that are crisp, chewy, crunchy, and have just the right amount of sweetness to keep you satisfied.
My partner even did a side-by-side with the packaged ones- mine came out on top. And he wasn’t mad about the price tag either (no $3.50 bars here!).
Table of Contents
Why make my homemade KIND bars
- No-baking. It takes a few minutes to prepare the mixture and a couple of hours for it to firm up in the fridge.
- Healthy. These homemade snack bars don’t contain refined sugar and unhealthy fats. They are also gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Easy to customize. You can use nuts, seeds, or mix-ins of your choice.
Key Ingredients
Here are some notes about the main ingredients. The full printable recipe is below.
- Cashews and almonds. Roughly chopped raw and unsalted nuts.
- Seeds. I mostly use sesame seeds for these bars as they are a good source of healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also good to add to the seed mix.
- Dried fruits. Aside from adding color and flavor, dried fruits also add fiber, minerals, and vitamins. I like using raisins and unsweetened cranberries. Chop them into smaller pieces for easy mixing.
- Maple syrup. I tested maple syrup, honey, and brown rice syrup- all worked. Honey had a slightly overpowering flavor, and brown rice syrup was extra sticky, but use whichever you prefer.
- Coconut butter (optional). To drizzle over the bars. Don’t confuse this with coconut oil.
How to make kind bars
Step 1- Make the mixture. Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the maple syrup and mix well until fully incorporated. If the mixture seems to be too loose, add more maple syrup and mix.
Step 2- Set. Transfer the mixture to an 8×8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Press it into an even layer and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. Drizzle with coconut butter to decorate.
Step 3- Slice and serve. Once set, cut into even-sized bars and enjoy.
Make all the popular KIND bar flavors at home
Kind bars come in tons of flavors, so I asked three Whole Foods employees which ones were the most popular- then gave them a homemade twist.
Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt. Omit the dried fruit. Use pecans and add a pinch more salt.
Blueberry Vanilla Cashew. Use dried blueberries for the fruit and cashews for the nuts. Don’t forget the vanilla extract.
Apple Cinnamon Pecan. Use dried apples for the fruit, and roughly chopped pecans for the nuts. Add ground cinnamon.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew. Use dried cherries for the fruit and raw cashews for the nuts. Drizzle with sugar-free dark chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut. Use unsweetened shredded coconut and raw unsalted almonds. Drizzle with sugar-free dark chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
While these homemade snack bars won’t go bad at room temperature, I recommend you store them in the fridge to prevent them from falling apart. Wrap each of them with parchment paper (individually) and place in a ziploc bag or container. This makes an easy grab-and-go snack and prevents them from sticking to each other. Homemade bars will keep for up to two weeks.
You can, but you need to adjust the liquid sweeteners. I tested my base recipe (not the flavor variations) using 1/2 a cup of plain protein powder and needed to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup to bind everything together. Depending on the protein you use, you may need up to 3 tablespoons.
This usually happens because of the brand of maple syrup (or sweetener) you are using. I suggest starting with five tablespoons, then adding a sixth if the bars are still not shaping. Also, don’t forget to press them down in the pan!
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Kind Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups cashews chopped roughly
- 3/4 cups almonds Chopped roughly
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dried fruit
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5-6 tablespoons maple syrup * See notes
- 1/4 cup coconut butter optional
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped cashews, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, and dried fruit, and mix well.
- Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup and mix well. If the mixture is too thin/crumbly, add a little extra maple syrup.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and press firmly into place. Refrigerate until firm. Once firm, drizzle with optional coconut butter before slicing into bars.
Notes
- Adjust liquids: Start with 5 tablespoons and if needed, add an extra tablespoon.
- Nuts: These are my preferred nuts. Pecans, walnuts, and peanuts all work.
- Dried fruit: Any chopped dried fruit of choice. I like raisins and unsweetened cranberries.
Nutrition
More healthy no bake snacks
Originally published March 2019
These look so delicious! #recipeoftheweek
Thank you, Kirsty!
YAY for Kind Bars…I’ll take a whole stack please. =) I love making recipes like this – and throw everything in my food processor for ease. You’re a pretty funny guy…I love reading your posts. Thanks much for sharing this lusciousness with us at Weekend Potluck. Keep ’em coming Man. And have a great week ahead.
Pretty funny guy? I am the Jimmy Kimmel of the blog world 😉
Just kidding. Jimmy Kimmel isn’t even funny. This week I have red velvet pancakes and copycat Bounty bars to contribute- I think you guys call them Mound Bars or Almond Joy bars!
See? You ARE the Jimmie Kimmel! =D I’ll be sure to check out both those recipes…thanks so much for sharing.
These look great! My favorite are the apricot & yogurt so I’ll have to try them that way. Do you think it would work to use ground flax seed instead of the oat bran? I’ve never used oat bran so I’m not sure if there’s anything comparable.
Hi Bevin! Hmmm I haven’t tried it with ground flax but I can’t see it NOT working- the only thing is, I would perhaps need some extra liquid if it’s too firm or if its too soft, add extra nuts. Do you have rolled oats?
Thanks for responding. I have a ton of oats, both the “old fashioned” and “quick cooking” kind
No worries at all- I’d say use the quick cooking first as they are most similar in texture to the oat bran 🙂
I love when you use words like cheeky. It makes me giggle, in a decidedly immature fashion.
I love KIND bars. I rarely eat them because they’re expensive but I can dig the ingredient list like no other. Plus they taste fantastic and yours look very much like the real deal, right down to the yogurt drizzle.
A Harry Potter wand. We need to talk about this weird fetish. 🙂
LOL. I should pack this wand with me.
Confession- I ate the ‘yogurt’ drizzle on toast. I even have photo evidence.
I like it! Lauren did beer pairings with these in Colorado when she worked for them… can I drink booze with yours too? 😉
Of course- but you be the expert on that, because me + beer is like me + wine. No bueno!
These look pretty darned close to the real thing. I need to try this. Thanks, Arman!
Thank you! I hope you try them out!
Yours looks 100 times better than the packaged variety – much prettier and loving all the colors!
Thanks buddy! 🙂
Peanuts and cashews? Pffft fail… I consider pretty much every store bought bar a fail because I can’t eat any of them. There are a few peanut free versions out there, but I’d much rather make my own so that I can load them with oats, honey, almond butter, and chocolate.
Sunshine, they are adaptable- you can sub the peanuts and cashews for all almonds 😉
Kind bars recently launched a new line of savory bars, and I am obsessed wit the jalapeno one. Seriously, it’s so good. If you’re feeling wild when you go visit Gigi (which you should be at all times) then please BUY ONE! I love me some Kind bars, but yours look WAY better aka more fruit and less processed. I go gaga at WholeFoods…period.
NO WAY. I love savoury so I need to check those out.
Mine look better because I was going to pose naked with them.
Damn right, you’re smart! KIND bars, along with the Costco version of KIND bars, are some of my favorites.
Bar fail? Those Chewy Quaker granola bars. Like, what are those flimsy rectangles of sugar that have approximately 20 oats in them?
I think you should come to Boston University, show your squat form to the physical therapists, and then get free KIND bars. 😀
LOL I saw that- I will squat my latte coloured ass to the ground!