Have you ever glanced at the clock to see that it is almost lunchtime and realize that you never ate breakfast? I seem to have that happen to me all too often. I spend the mornings getting my girls ready for the day, making sure they eat a healthy breakfast, deal with work emails, etc., and forget to feed myself in the process! I’ve been trying to come up with things that I can make for those days when I need something that I can just grab and eat as I go about doing all the things that need to be accomplished. I love chewy granola bars, so decided to come up with a breakfast version that would be filling, healthy, and delicious.
These Nutella Fruit & Nut bars are all of those things. You make them ahead, then wrap them up and grab them when you need them! They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for about 5 months.
You can make a pan of these on the weekend, and then have something to grab as a breakfast on-the-go, or as an energy boosting afternoon snack during the coming week. Not only will you love these, but so will your kids. They are packed full of whole grains, dried fruit, seeds, and nuts—all items that are nutrient rich and filling. Plus you get a hint of chocolate from the Nutella. I call that a win-win situation!
Nutella Fruit & Nut Bars
Makes 24 servings
2 1/3 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup toasted black sesame seeds (white sesame seeds can be substituted)
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
2/3 cup Nutella
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter, melted
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a 9″ x 12″ baking pan in one direction with parchment paper (so that the parchment paper goes up two opposing sides). Lightly grease the parchment paper and any part of the pan that is exposed.
3. Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts, in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Toss everything together until the mixture is evenly combined (the mixture will be crumbly).
5. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing firmly into the pan to form a firm layer.
6. Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are starting to darken. The bars will seem underbaked, but they will start to firm up as they cool. Cool the bars in the pan completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, place the pan in the refrigerate to complete setting for approximately 30 minutes. After chilling, cut the bars into pieces with a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray (helps prevent the bars from sticking to the knife). Store in an airtight container, or wrapped individually in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. The bars will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to about a week. The bars also freeze well and will keep for up to about 5 months.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Packed with goodness!!
Just beautiful! I hope you’ll be sending these over to bella nutella ; ) xoxo
These look soooo good!
These look so dense and full of fruity and nutty goodness!
I think I saw Giada use Nutella once – but cannot figure out where to get it. They look yumtastic!
@bluecottonmemory,
You can find Nutella in most grocery stores with the peanut butter. It’s usually on the top shelf. Hope you find it…its good stuff!! :)
Rachel these look amazing!!
I have lots of no-bake or microwave-to-heat and mix the ingredients together type homemade granola bars. And most of them use peanut butter. Or cocoa powder.
I totally need these in my life b/c Nutella is too good for words :)
Beautiful photos, too!
These look amazing! Just wondering, do you rinse the quinoa first? I know it sometimes has that bitter coating.
What a creative and delish treat!
Great idea!! As for me, I am incredibly boring – have my coach’s oats every morning. However, I think I need to make a batch of these to hand to hungry boys who get up too late to eat breakfast!! (Have tried to wake them up in time – BAD idea!!)
What a great snack or grab and go option!! Love Nutella…and to have it all packed in with fruit and nuts…well that’s the perfect combo in my book! Thanks for sharing!! I can’t wait to try them :)
Denise @ Creative Kitchen
What a great idea! It’s easy and delicious. I’ll try them asap
i’m kind of sad we’re leaving town this weekend…i want to make a big batch of these and eat them!
I tihnk I found what I’m doing with the rest of my quinoa! These look amazing, I can’t wait to give them a try. I’m a huge fan of homemade power bars and granola bars, so I’m sure this is right up my alley!
i have to make these they just look to awesome to pass up
Oh my gosh! These look amazing! I am a Nutella addict! :-P
These look INCREDIBLE!!
The bars looks great.
They look absolutely fabulous-especially that lovely texture! :)
These look amazing, Rachael! I love the addition of quinoa. I have a brand new jar of nutella sitting in my pantry, I’ll tweet a pic when I make these :)
These look delicious! My husband is obsessed with Nutella and I never really understood the draw, but this recipe might change my mind.
Um, Nutella in a granola bar?? YES!! I bet these are awesome!!
at first glance I thought these were made w/figs, due to the white specks. but black sesame, and quinoa and nutella? oh my. these look like energy powerhouses. definitely bookmarking. thanks!
Oh.My.GOODNESS! These look SO good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I made these a couple days ago, and they are amazing! I have been bringing them to work, and I can’t wait to pull them out and munch on them :)
thank you :D
That sounds so yummy! Thanks for posting the recipe too…
Now that I’m eating 7 meals a day for the rest of May (Hobbit Diet, baby!), I definitely need better snack. This is the ticket!
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