Savory Walnut Breakfast Bars
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Dates, walnuts and bacon get chopped and blended with nut butter, oats and dried cherries for these no bake Savory Walnut Breakfast Bars. We often take these on hikes with the dogs for easy snacking or whenever hunger hits.
I’m excited that today’s post is sponsored by my friends over at California Walnut Board. Walnuts are so versatile not only for snacking ideas, but in cooking and baking uses.
Did you know that more than 99% of the walnuts in U.S. are grown in the fertile soils of California’s Central Valley? Internationally, California walnuts supply three-quarters of the world’s walnut trade. Pretty amazing!
These are super easy to put together, and with no baking required, keeps the kitchen cool in the summer.
After processing the crisp bacon, walnuts and soaked dates to a crumble in the food processor I add them to a bowl of cereals like puffed rice and millet. Oats, dried cherries and vanilla are some of the healthy ingredients for these walnut breakfast bars.
Nut butters and honey are heated and mixed in and the entire mixture is spread into a baking dish where they are refrigerated until firm and ready to snack on.
These can be made in a 9×9″ square pan for taller bars or spread out in a 13×9″ pan for thinner bars. Keep these refrigerated.
I love the bacon, walnut flavor, the bar picks up the sweet date and the nut butter holds it all together. The crunchy rice cereal, puffed millet and chewy cherries are wonderful contrasts in each bite.
For other walnut recipes, try my Chicken Spanakopita Rolls with Walnuts , Smoky Spicy Walnuts, Brown Butter Bucatini with Walnuts, Chocolate Walnut Baklava Rolls, Walnut Brown Butter Banana Bread or my mom’s Beacon Hill Cookies. Enjoy!
Thanks again to the California Walnut Board for sponsoring today’s post. Thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make Kevin Is Cooking possible.
Savory Walnut Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 8 dates pitted
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup crisp brown rice or Rice Krispies
- 1/2 cup puffed millet
- 1 cup dried cherries chopped
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9x9" baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang.
- Cook bacon until rendered and crisp. Break into pieces, set aside. Remove the pits from the dates and discard. Soak the dates for 5 minutes with enough hot water to just cover, set aside.
- Place the walnuts and bacon in a food processor and pulse for two minutes to start breaking down the nuts to a meal like consistency. Add the drained dates, water and kosher salt and pulse again for a minute or two until it comes together.
- In a large bowl mix the oats, grain cereals, nuts, cherries and walnut date mixture. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the almond butter, peanut butter, honey, and kosher salt. Heat mixture on HIGH power for 1 minute, remove and stir. Return to microwave and heat on HIGH power 1 minute longer. Remove from microwave, pour in vanilla and whisk mixture to thoroughly incorporate.
- Pour nut butter mixture over oat/cereal mixture and toss well to evenly coat. This will be thick. Spread mixture into 9x9" baking dish for tall or 13x9" for thinner bars and firmly press with a spatula into an even layer making sure to spread to all edges.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 1 hour minimum. Lift bars from dish using paper overhang and cut into squares/bars. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Keith and I love to have snacks like this for summer hiking and biking. Love that bit of bacon to send the flavor of these right over the top!
A little savory and sweet with lots of crunch Marissa. Thanks!
I’m having a hard time imagining what these bars taste like, but they sound intriguing!
Sweet, savory, crunchy about sum it up! I love the hint of bacon and the tartness of the cherry. 😉
These are perfect for snacking or breakfast on the go!! Plus, you definitely had me at bacon! 😉 Pinning!
Thanks Chey, these as so good. I even roll some in balls and keep them in a bowl in the kitchen. 🙂