There are a lot of things that are either awesome or terrible, very little in between. Think about things like perfume, coffee, doughnuts, how a piece of clothing or pair of shoes fits. Great perfume leaves you smelling your own wrist, but bad makes you want to sniff other things until the smell is replaced. Warm, smooth coffee is one of my personal things on planet earth, but a bad cup leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth (literally) and can make me want to stick to brewing my own Java at home permanently.
I’m swooning right here and now just thinking about a fluffy doughnut with the right amount of chew and crackly glaze, just keep the greasy bricks that are bad doughnuts far, far away from me. And I mean, if a dress or pair of shoes I ordered doesn’t fit, it doesn’t matter how much I love them, they have to go back in the box and off to some return center.
Personally, I think nut bars fall in this group as well. Maybe it’s because I have made far too many nut bars with crust that crumbles if you look at it wrong or not nearly enough goo to make the nut bar worth eating. If I wanted granola, I would have made granola, you know?
But I will never give up trying to make nut bars because when they are good with a shortbread-y crust, super crunchy nuts, and just a little too much goo, they are bliss. I shouldn’t be surprised that I found success when I adapted a Martha Stewart recipe, because Martha Stewart. #amiright
These bars have it all. That awesome crust that’s not too thin or thick and doesn’t fall apart. SO many crunchy pecans and walnuts, though you can use only pecans or only walnuts or make your own combination. And the goo. The goo is pure perfection. The next time you are craving something truly tasty, make these bars and rest assured they will be awesome.
Pecan and Walnut Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
Description
With melt in your mouth shortbread crust, tons of crunchy walnuts and pecans, and coffee and vanilla goo, these are sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
Crust
1 ½ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Filling
¾ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup sweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
½ cup coconut butter
1 cup walnuts
1 cups pecans
Instructions
Make the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/325 degrees F convection.
In a large bowl, stir together flour and sugar. Add in both oils and mix until a dough just comes together, leaving a few pieces of coconut oil. Press into the bottom of an 8 inch square pan, going slightly up the sides. Be sure the entire bottom is covered without any holes. Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool while you make the filling.
Make the filling. In a large microwave safe bowl (the same one if you wish), combine the sugar, syrup, milk, vanilla, espresso, and coconut butter. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted and bubbling slightly. Stir in the walnuts and pecans and pour over the cooled crust. Bake about 20 additional minutes until bubbling.
Cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
Leave a Reply