Sometimes I get a little obsessed, especially when I find something I really like … This is the story of a woman on a mission to make an incredible little snack bar that she accidently stumbled upon and fell magically in love with!
Sparing you all of the drama, I’ll just get right to the point … After one bite of a KIND Fruit & Nut Bar, I knew I had to figure out how to replicate these scrumptious little treats.
Maybe you’ve had one of these bars and love them too, or maybe you’re just plain curious about what’s got me so worked up? Either way … I’ve pulled back the curtain and am sharing the simple details on how to make a whole host of these amazing little bars of yum!
And just incase you do want to hear me ramble on about how this recipe came about, feel free to read on below … or , you can just skip the drama and go right for the recipes! Either way, if you’re up for a crunchy, sticky, fruity, nutty little adventure in snacking, these are the perfect bars for you too!
Homemade “KIND” Bar Recipes
• Original Everything Fruit & Nut Bar – the original bar that started my obsession
• Nut-Free “KIND” Bar – perfect for those with nut-allergies
• Cherry-Chocolate Chip Bar – chocolate chips, need I say more?
• Apricot-Almond Crunch Bar – mildly sweet, tangy & delicious!
For best results, follow the recipes exactly as given. Trust me, after making dozens of batches of these bars (they’re a real favorite), the correct combination of ingredients is important to achieving the perfect bar!
P.S. These amazingly delicious fruit-n-bars make a beautiful Gift-in-a-Jar no matter what the holiday or special occasion.
This delightful recipe is just one of more than 100 irresistible grain-free, dairy-free recipes in my new cookbook – Everyday Grain-Free Baking!
From breads, biscuits and muffins to savory snacks and decadent treats, you’ll find step-by-step instructions, beautiful color photographs and helpful tips & tidbits to make all of your GF baking adventures a delicious success!
The Story Behind the Bars …
Stuck in the airport with no homemade healthy snacks on hand, I began scouring the little airport souvenir shop for something halfway decent.
As I glanced over the various granola bars and protein bars, I found these real food looking bars called KIND Fruit & Nut Bars. I read the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised that they contained recognizable real ingredients. But when I saw the price, I almost fainted – $2.99 a bar! Yikes!
Still, I was ill-prepared and hungry, so I grabbed one and hoped this little bar would help me at least make it through the lay over and short flight home. And it most certainly did! This simple little fruit & nut bar was so tasty and filling I knew I had to figure out a more frugal way to enjoy these little treats.
When I got home, I popped over to TJs and found the bars at a much more reasonable price (not) of $1.49 per bar. Are you kidding me?
Reading over the label again, I purchased the ingredients I didn’t already have on hand at home and got to baking. My first batch didn’t hold together so well because I used too little honey and I also realized a thickening agent was needed, so I opted for good ole high-fiber coconut flour.
Several test batches later, mission accomplished – the flavor and texture were almost identical to the original! It was so exciting to be able to replicate this bar for far less. And even better, to be able to avoid any unwanted ingredients, as well as customize the bars to my family’s taste preferences.
These little protein-rich bars are a hit with kids and adults alike!
For kids, they make a great healthy after-school {or lunchbox} snack. And best of all, you can bake up a bunch, individually wrap and freeze them for a perfect on-the-go snack anytime you need one!
What were you exact fruit and nuts you used. The look so good ?
Hi, Bev. I should probably have noted that … I used 1/2 cup coarse-chopped whole almonds, 1/2 cup coarse-chopped whole cashews and 1/3 cup coarse-chopped pistachios. The fruit I used was a combo of dried cranberries and blueberries. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thanks Kelly !
My pleasure! Thanks for asking. I am sure others are wondering too! 🙂
Hi, could you please share the brand you used for the dried fruit? thank you!
Hi, Karlita. I use either Organic Made in Nature brand or Newman’s Own Organic brand. But any organic dried fruit is sulfate-free, and some non-organic brands as well. Just check the label. All dried fruits treated with sulfate dioxide must be labeled as such. Hope this helps. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
iYummy!!! These looks so good. I have a second batch of them in the oven as I write. The first one I used brazil nuts, english walnuts, sunflower seeds, apricots, and peaches. The second one I used cranberries, apricots, pecans, and english walnuts. I can hardly wait until they get cool enough to cut.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Thanks for your kind note – that’s kind of a pun too, I guess! LOL! 🙂
They are DELICIOUS!!!!!! The best bar I have ever made. I have tried several kinds, but these are number 1. Thank you so much for listing this recipe.
Hooray! Glad you’re enjoying them. I’d love it if you can help spread the word by posting a link to this recipe on your social media outlets like FB and Pinterest. Thank you! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Sorry!! I don’t do facebook or have any social media. I read lots of cooking type blogs and email and that is it.
No worries. You are a smart woman not to get caught up in all of that. 🙂
So, did you do a cost comparison to see how much yours cost vs. the KIND bars?
I did a quick price calculation – TJs sells the bars for $1.50 each. I was able to make the bars myself for about .90¢ each – this price included all ingredients, except for the small amount of almond butter and coconut flour used. (I wasn’t about to try to figure out a per tablespoon cost – LOL!) Of course, it’s very important to note that the price I just gave is based on buying only a small one-pound bag of nuts, 1 cup size bag of dried fruit and one-pound jar of honey. You can save even more by buying in bulk! So when my bulk food order comes in from Azure Standard (I buy most of my staples in bulk such as nuts, dried fruits, flours, etc.), my price per bar will be even less than this. The fact is making food yourself almost always results in saving money, as does buying in bulk. 🙂 Lots of blessings, Kelly
Just shared these on FB – very nice !
Thanks so much for spreading the word about these, sweet friend! Appreciate you! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
These look AMAZING – thank you so much for the recipe! I was just talking to my husband earlier about trying to duplicate the KIND bars 🙂
Thanks for your kind words (hee hee). It took some doing, but I think these are pretty spot-on! Hope you enjoy them too! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
I am so excited to try these…I too have been obsessing over the KIND bars! Thanks for figuring this one out….now time to get to work trying it for myself!
Hi, April! So glad your excited too! Hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Would oatmeal be a good substitute for the coconut flakes? I really don’t like coconut, and I’m totally fine with grain in my bars. What about the coconut flour? I don’t exactly keep that on hand, and the price wouldn’t be worth buying a bag just for these if I didn’t like them.
Hi, Shana. Sounds like you are about to embark upon a recipe tweaking adventure! I haven’t tried it with oatmeal, so you truly would need to experiment here. The coconut flour serves as a binder so the honey doesn’t go to the bottom of the pan (been there, done that). But you might be able to substitute with ground flax seed, perhaps a little more may be needed? Again, you’ll need to experiment to achieve the balance of having the bar to hold together well, yet still be nice and moist. Hope this helps! Happy baking! 🙂 Kelly
Those look fantastic! Do you think I could substitute coconut flour with Almond flour? I have that on hand and need to use it. Thanks! 😀
Hi, Amanda. Coconut flour is far more absorbent, so you can use far less to serve as a binder. My hunch with almond flour would be that it will require more of it to help keep the honey from settling to the bottom of the pan during the baking process, and it may also result in the bar being less crunchy and more cake like. But, I haven’t specifically tried it because I opted to use coconut flour as a good binder for this recipe. It may be possible to substitute with ground flaxseed – I haven’t tried it, but my guess is that this may work better than almond flour. Of course, you may need to use slightly more ground flax as well. Again, because I haven’t tested this myself using alternate flours, I cannot give exact recommendations. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
We’ve just made these tonight and they taste so wonderful! I have a batch in the freezer for lunch boxes. We plan to make these again and again. Thank you. They’re delicious and we’re hooked!
Hi, Gwen! So glad you all enjoyed these. There are pretty addicting – LOL! In fact, I’ll be sharing three more versions starting next week … stay tuned. Thanks for always taking the time to leave a kind note. You are such a blessing! 🙂 Kelly
Any substitute ideas for the coconut flakes? I am not a coconut fan. I also wonder about a little drizzle of chocolate on the top:) The kids might actually eat them then!
Hi, Nan. The coconut helps hold the bars together and adds sweetness. You could try using more dried fruit and nuts in place of it. Since I haven’t developed a coconut-free version, I’d have to experiment. But perhaps an additional, 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts and 1/2 cup of chopped fruit could substitute. If you try it – please let us know the result. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thanks Kelly. I will give it a try soon (fingers crossed) and let you know. I plan on only subbing the coconut flakes and not the coconut flour.
Hope it turns out wonderfully! 🙂
Kelly these bars are amazing….having gone paleo I am always searching and experimenting with recipes. I tried another “KIND” recipe without the coconut flour, thinking it would have that clear look, It did not work. After cooking it, cooling and freezer it never set up. I am forbidden from straying from your recipe forever more!!!…Thanks for taking the time to create such a wonderful and healthy recipe and sharing it with the world.
Denise
My pleasure! It’s nice to help others not to have to spend countless hours and waste expensive ingredients. So I’m glad you’re enjoying this recipe and appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Thanks so much, Pam! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
These look absolutely divine but am I missing where the recipe is? Sorry if I’m looking in the wrong place but I would love it if you could let me know where the recipe is cause my kids (and me!!) would devour these 🙂
Never mind I just saw the links, lol! Omg what a goose!! 🙂
No worries at all. You are so cute! I can’t tell you how many times I do the same thing with emails. LOL! 🙂
These are so good! I’ve tried many larabar/nut bar type things and when my husband tasted your recipe for the cherry-chocolate the first thing out of his mouth was “YUM”. He said they are the best bars I’ve made. I’m counting this a huge success! Next up will be the apricot ones. Thanks so much for the delicious recipes!
Hi, Kim! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a kind note (LOL, get it?) Seriously, what a joy to know you and your hubby enjoy these. Appreciate your words of encouragement. Many blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
These are so good! I tried the fruit and nut with a mix of cashews, pecans and almonds, and my fruits were cherries, tangerines and raisins. Amazing! Love that they’re so good and so good for me! I need to eat protein every 4 hours for my diet and this is an easy-and delicious-way to get it. Thank you for adding some zing to my usual handful of plain almonds and raisins!!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note (hee hee), Jen! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
I really like these better than Kind Bars. The Kind Bars use corn fiber (maize) and soy lecithin and often dairy. I can’t have any of those in addition to no gluten. I want to try with less honey and a little coconut oil to make it less sweet but still moist. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your “kind” words, Dawn! I couldn’t agree more – it’s always better to make it yourself, because just like you shared, you can adjust the ingredients to your dietary needs and of course, eliminate unhealthy, unwanted ingredients. Your idea for adding coconut oil and reducing the honey, sounds wonderful. Keep me posted. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
hands down the best bars! These are better than the brand name ones from the store. So grateful I found these because we are dealing with lots of food allergies at my house and these save the day. Thanks again, I love the other ideas for mix ins too:)
Thanks so much, Sarah! Appreciate your “kind” words and am so happy your family is enjoying this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a sweet note! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thank you Kelly for your amazing recipe. You have saved me some major stressing!
I bought fruits and nuts from the supermarket today to make these – having no idea how – I asked my computer and you just jumped right out in front of me 🙂
An aroma of beautiful nutty sweetness is now filling my house! x Janie
Hi, Janie! Welcome to The Nourishing Home. So glad the Lord has led you here! Hope you find many more treats to enjoy here! Merry Christmas! 🙂 Kelly
The link isn’t working to this bar:
• Original Everything Fruit & Nut Bar – special guest post at Honey Pacifica
can you fix or post recipe here? Thanks!
Thank you so much for letting me know. I contacted the site and apparently they are having issues. I am planning to bring the recipe over to my site until it’s resolved. I have your email and will send you a note as soon as I move this over. Thank you again for bringing this to my attention. You are a blessing, Stephanie! 🙂
Oh no! The link to the Original fruit and nut bars doesn’t work. I was hoping to make these for my husband and myself for work this week. Help!
I know. I am really bummed about this. Another reader just let me know. Hang tight, because I am going to email you two with the recipe and then will bring it over to my site. I don’t know how long it’s going to be until their site is fixed, and I don’t want others to miss out either. Thanks, friend! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
The kids are huge bar fans and I like them for the convenience. I simply can’t hand them another store bar and feel good about it. So, thank you. I Just made the Nut and Cherry bars. They are amazingly fantastic! (I did add 2 tbs ground flax meal as well). I am going to have to hide them from the kids (and husband) to ensure they last the week. And I’m talking a double batch. I look forward to trying out many more of your recipes 🙂
Awesome, Allison! So glad you’re enjoying these! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a kind note! Lots of blessings to you and your kiddos, Kelly 🙂
Just made the second double batch and we are loving them. Wanted to ask if you have a brand for the cranberries (or other dried fruit beyond apricots/raisins) that does not have sugar as an added ingredient? I’ve looked, not extensively mind you, but could not find anything that didn’t have sugar as an added ingredient, this includes ‘natural’ and organic brands. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks again for the recipe 🙂
Hi, Allison. Glad you’re enjoying this recipe. There are brands that use fruit juice as the sweetener such as Eden Organics (this is an amazon aff.link: http://amzn.to/1e4KJlm) and I do believe there are some entirely unsweetened brands as well. Hope this helps. Blessings, Kelly
I have been buying juice infused cranberries from Nuts.com, because we go through a lot and can buy in bulk.
Thanks for sharing, Nicci! I like the juice-sweetened cranberries as well. 🙂
HAS ANYONE TRIED THESE WITH MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD OF HONEY??
Hi, Leah. Yes, they will not set-up well using maple syrup, however, you could up the amount of coconut flour and see if you can come up with a solution to help them bind well. Blessings, Kelly
You have no idea how psyched I am to see this!! I LOVE Kind bars!! A homeschooling mom to four has no time to eat and I rely on them to keep me going in the mornings! I am SO making these in bulk tomorrow! Thanks! ~Organized SAHM
You are SO welcome, Tara! I make huge batches of these and individually wrap them and store in the freezer. These are my absolute favorite go-to snacks and quick meal bars. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Thanks for taking the time to leave a “kind” note 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
Have you tried to duplicate the peanut butter dark chocolate Kind bars? They are my favorite!
Hi, Deanna. For sure you could use peanut butter in place of the almond butter and also replace some of the nuts in the recipe with peanuts. I’m not sure if those bars are drizzled in chocolate or contain chocolate chip, but either option can be done as well with this recipe. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thanks Kelly. I think the base is dark chocolate. Maybe put some peanut butter in that. Has drizzle too but chocolate chips would work. Will experiment.
Definitely keep us posted 🙂
Hello! I’m a little late to this post, but it looks great! I was just wondering of the texture. Do these end up crunchy like brittle, or chewy? Or is it the temperature (freezer or thawed) that determines the texture?
Yes, the temp determines the texture. If they are frozen they are brittle and so if you try to cut them when they are frozen, they will break into pieces. If they are room temp, they are crunchy-chewy (because of the nuts there is always a crunch), but the honey will become warmer at room temp and therefore add a chewiness. If in frig, they are more crunchy and closer to an actual KIND bar in texture. The reason KIND bars can hold up better at room temp is because they use corn syrup (albeit non-GMO corn syrup, but still we avoid corn syrup, thus me using honey). Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Do you have any ideas for what to do for these bars if you hate coconut? I am a major hater but these vars look amazing!
Yes, you can omit the coconut flakes and increase the nuts and dried fruit. But only replace with about 1/2 – 3/4 cup (not one whole cup or the bar will be too dry). 🙂
I have had so much fun experimenting with these recipes. Thank you for taking the time to figure out how to make these! 🙂
You are so welcome! My pleasure! 🙂
these bars are awesome!!! I made the apricot and almond bars. After they were cooled, I spread some melted unsweetened baker’s chocolate and maple syrup over the bars. They were delicious. I made a big batch today and used the baker’s chocolate and coconut oil and coated the bars. Delicous!!! Thanks for the great recipes!!!
Love your idea of adding some melted chocolate. YUM! Thank you so much, Cynthia, for your “kind” words! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes here! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a sweet note! 🙂
I made my first set of bars today! I loved them but the biggest fan was my husband, he could not believe how good they tasted. Thank you for these recipes!!!
You are so welcome! I love it when we can make healthy foods our families love! Thanks for taking the time to leave a “kind” note. 🙂
I made these last night, used half almonds and half cashews and instead of fruit I used dark chocolate chips. So delicious! some of my edges crumbled when I cut them so I just put the crumbles in a little pile and had granola from breakfast:-)
Your version sounds wonderful, Darla! But isn’t everything better with chocolate? LOL! Thank you so much for sharing! So glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Hi Kelly! my entire family LOVES these bars! I make them frequently with all kinds of nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Every time, they are delicious. I have two questions though: 1) do you think there’s any way to reduce the amount of honey and still have them bind?? Could i up the nut butter amount or add water?? 2) sometimes when i make them, they set perfectly. But other things, they don’t come together as well, and they crumble a bit when i cut them (even after being refrigerated). Any idea what i may be doing wrong when that happens?? Lastly, i love many of your recipes and have so much fun trying them! the chicken caprese was amazing, as are the fluffy pancakes — which are a staple in my freezer!
Hi, Tracy! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes here. Thank you for your kind words! 🙂 With regard to your second question, my guess would be that the measurements may be differing slightly since you’re nut-chopping may not be consistent every time. So sometimes you may have more nuts or seeds which would mean less honey mixture coating everything well and enabling it to hold together. Which leads to your first question. Yes, you can try decreasing the honey by one tablespoon and increasing the nut butter by one tablespoon. I have done this myself, as I tend to not care for overly sweet and it works well, but they bars will be slightly crumblier. One remedy is to reduce the amount of dry ingredients a bit. Again, it’s important to keep in mind that the size of the ingredients will alter the outcome of the recipe, so smaller seeds used in place of the nuts mean that you’re actually getting more seeds since they’re smaller, which can lead to a crumblier bar. Hopefully that makes sense. 🙂 Thanks again for your kind words! You are such a blessing! 🙂
This is awesome! So glad I found this post via Mommyplatpus! LOL!
We are getting ready to head out on vacation and I was trying to put together some snack ideas that I can take with me that are healthy!
Also, just reviewed your book on my blog!!! I was sent a copy via Adams Media!! What a great book!!
http://www.thenotsoperfecthousewife.com/2015/05/everyday-grain-free-baking.html
Hi, Mikki! What a blessing you are! Thank you so much for your kind review. Looks to me like you’re a natural with almond flour – you did an awesome job making The Ultimate Cookie Bars and I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed them. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to introduce yourself and for helping me spread the word about my new cookbook! I hope to get to know you better! Hope you have a super blessed Mother’s Day weekend! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
No substitutes, you say? 🙁 I can’t have honey or coconut. And these look so good.
Hi, J. Can you do rice syrup? Obviously it’s not grain-free, but if you’re not grain-free and can tolerate rice syrup, that would be a better option than maple syrup, which does not work well in keeping the ingredients together.
Also, you can substitute the coconut, see this recipe for details: http://thenourishinghome.com/2014/05/mock-kind-fruit-nut-grain-free-bars/ Look under recipe notes, last note – “What if I don’t care for coconut?”
Hope this helps! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Would you happen to have a recipe for the Caramel Almond & Sea Salt or maybe the Salted Caramel with Almonds? I’m not that particular about being grain free. I’ve tried making it but haven’t been successful. The Kind bars that I have bought are hard as a rock and I’m afraid I’ll break a tooth. I might tinker with some of your recipe ingredients to see if the consistency is better. Unlike most people I’m not real fond of fruit and nut combinations.
Hi, Sue. I have not used that combo. But you may be able to use this recipe as a base to work from. I’d recommend drizzling the caramel on the top of the bars after they’ve cooled and been cut as trying to add it to the batter may mean it ends up on the bottom of the pan. Happy experimenting! 🙂
Good idea, thanks so much!
My pleasure 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous recipe!
Found you via thekitchn and made the apricot-Almond and nut’n’fruit bars this weekend, so great and easy to make!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a kind note 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
I’ve come back to this post time and time again. This is the perfect after school snack. Going to whip up a batch now.
Thank you so much for your kind note, Tyra. I’m so happy you and your kids are enjoying this recipe! Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
I’m really trying to find more wholesome snacks, I love baking and experimenting with ingredients, and the options are endless it seems…BUT; I have a coconut allergy. And almost any “healthy”, “Wholesome”, “Better for you” recipe nowadays calls for coconut flour. What is the purpose of coconut flour? How is it different? Can I use a whole wheat flour? Or an oat flour and accomplish the same(ish) result; or is there a way coconut flour works that is different than other flours?
*Sorry, allergy is the wrong word to use. I experience hives and a rash; coconut allergy is rare, but my experience with coconut is not pleasant so I just as soon avoid it.
Hi, Sam. You can use ground flaxseed in place of the coconut flour and it will work similarly in helping to bind the bar ingredients. I haven’t tried gluten based flours since I’m gluten free. 🙂