Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bars

These homemade Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bars are crunchy, the perfect combination of salty/sweet, and delicious. They have fewer than 10 ingredients, and the recipe is super simple and easy to follow. If you love KIND bars, this is the recipe for you!

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If you've ever wanted to make nut bars at home, you've come to the right place! These were inspired by KIND bars, and they're packed absolutely packed with roasted nuts and finished with a touch of salt and chocolate.

We start by roasting the nuts, then coating them in a brown rice syrup. They're then transferred to a baking dish and baked again, then sliced and coated with salt and chocolate. It's a super simple process and they should come out perfectly for you!

If you're looking for some more homemade bar recipes, check out our Homemade Fig Newtons or these Cranberry Bliss Bars.

Jump to:

• Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bar Ingredients
• How to Make these Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bars
• Substitutions and Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips and FAQ
• Let the bars cool fully before slicing
• More homemade snack recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bar Ingredients

• Nuts: We used a combination of peanuts, cashews, and almonds, but you can use whatever nuts you prefer, including walnuts or pecans. You don't even have to use a combination of nuts – just one variety would be totally fine!
• Brown rice syrup: This is somewhat of a specialty ingredient, but it's super sticky so it's the perfect binder in these bars. We used just enough to keep everything together without the bars being sticky to the touch. If you can't find brown rice syrup, you could also use honey, but the bars may not stick together as well as they would have if you used brown rice syrup.
  • You can find brown rice syrup in many speciality food stores (like Whole Foods) or order it online.
• Puffed brown rice: We used a puffed brown rice cereal, you could also use regular puffed rice cereal.
• Dark chocolate: This is used to coat the bottom of the bars and to drizzle on top. You can also use semisweet or milk chocolate if preferred.
• Coconut oil: We add this to the chocolate to thin it out and to help it set more quickly.
• Vanilla: This is added to the brown rice syrup to add a bit of extra flavor to the bars.
• Salt: We add salt to the brown rice syrup, and we also sprinkle the tops of the bars with a flaky (Maldon) salt. If you're not a big fan of salty/sweet, you can skip the salt on top of the bars.

How to Make these Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Nut Bars

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 325˚F / 160˚C. Spread the nuts into a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 5-8 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. 

STEP 2: Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the nuts and puffed rice and toss to combine. 

STEP 3: Add the brown rice syrup to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. (This loosens it up so it's easier to work with.) Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt until combined, then pour over the nut mixture and stir until evenly coated. 

STEP 4: Transfer the nut mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. 

STEP 5: Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for ~30 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 5-6 thin bars. Let cool completely. 

STEP 6: Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval, until fully melted. Dip the bottom of each bar into the melted chocolate, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Drizzle the top of each bar with melted chocolate, then top with flaky salt. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, then enjoy! 

Substitutions and Variations

• Nuts - We used almonds, cashews, and peanuts, but you can also use walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts.
• Chocolate free - If you don't like dark chocolate, you can use milk or semisweet chocolate or just leave out the chocolate entirely. They'll still be delicious.
• Brown rice syrup - You should be able to find this at a store near you or you can purchase it online. You could also use honey or maple syrup, though the bars might not bind as well and may end up a bit stickier.

Equipment

You'll need an 8x8" pan to bake the bars in, as well as some parchment paper to ensure they don't stick to the vessel.

Storage

The best way to store these is in an air tight container, with parchment paper placed in between layers of the bars to prevent them from sticking together. They should last about a week or slightly more when kept in an airtight container.

Tips and FAQ

More tips

• Be sure to line your 8x8" pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray to ensure the bars don't stick.
• Adding some coconut oil to your dark chocolate will thin it out a bit, and help it set faster.
• To make sure your bars don't have a large chocolate "foot", which happens when the chocolate runs off the bottom of the bars, make sure to let any excess chocolate drip off the bottom of the bar before placing it down.
• Sprinkle the tops of the bars with some flaky salt for a bit of extra flavor.
• If you can't find brown rice syrup, you can try honey instead.

More homemade snack recipes

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