These homemade nak'd bars are raw fruit and nut bars. They are every bit as delicious as the original, but cost a third of the price. Homemade nak'd bars have just 3 ingredients - dates, raisins and nuts, and take less than 10 minutes to make.
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Why you'll love the recipe
- These delicious homemade raw energy bars are much cheaper than store bought alternatives
- Dried fruit provides fibre and nuts are high in protein to keep you feeling satisfied and energised
- Made with just 3 wholesome natural ingredients which are widely available
- A no-bake snack bar which is ready to eat in 10 minutes
- Easy to vary the basic recipe to make your favourite flavours
- Gluten free, dairy free and vegan
You might also like these other healthy no bake treats which are all quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
Dates. I use a block of cooking dates to make these homemade nak'd bars, as they are less than half the price of other types of dates. They are also ready stoned so there is no preparation required.
If you're a fan of dates, you might also like these date slices and healthy date loaf cake.
Raisins or sultanas add natural sweetness and extra antioxidants, and they are a budget-friendly addition to this raw fruit and nut bar recipe.
Nuts. I added a pack of whole mixed nuts which I chopped to a fine texture with a knife. Using a mix of nuts adds a wider range of micronutrients, but use whichever type of unsalted nuts you prefer.
How to make homemade nak'd bars
This quick and easy recipe takes just minutes to make.
Add the dried fruit to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.
Scrape the mixture onto a board. Add the chopped nuts and knead them into the mixture. (If you add them to the food processor, they'll be pulverised and you'll lose the texture of the nuts).
Divide the mixture into 6 equal balls.
Shape each ball into an oblong log (or leave them as balls if you prefer).
Variations
It's easy to use this basic recipe to make different varieties of homemade nak'd bars without the need for flavourings. Stick to the proportion of dried fruit and nuts used in the recipe and switch in your favourites. Here are some suggestions:
- Chocolate. Add a slightly rounded tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the basic recipe
- Berry. You'll need to use dried or freeze-dried fruit if you want to make berry-flavoured fruit and nut bars. Avoid using fresh fruit which will make the mixture too wet. Freeze-dried fruit is quite expensive, but it is now available in major supermarkets. Dried blueberries, cranberries and cherries are widely available and more budget-friendly. Dried cherries and almonds are a great combination to make bakewell fruit and nut bars.
- Orange. The easiest way to add a natural orange flavour to homemade nak'd bars is to use the grated zest of half a small orange.
- High protein. To add extra protein to these raw fruit and nut bars, add a tablespoon of peanut butter to the mixture in the blender and increase the nuts to 100g. This will double the protein in the recipe to 5g per bar.
Vary the nuts to suit your taste. Cashews, hazelnuts, brazil nuts and almonds can be used in whichever combination you prefer.
Storage
Store these homemade nak'd bars wrapped, in an airtight container at room temperature. I wrapped them in baking paper inside a container to keep them moist.
Raw fruit and nut bars are ideal for out-of-home snacking and lunchboxes. They are mess-free and don't need refrigeration. Pop them in a reusable snack bag.
Frequently asked questions
These homemade nak'd bars are made from 100% natural ingredients. They contain high-fibre dried fruit that counts as one of your five-a-day.
These raw fruit and nut bars are made with dried fruit, which is high in naturally occurring sugars. However, there is evidence that dates do not affect blood sugar levels. Nevertheless, it is recommended to eat dried fruit in moderation.
Other dried fruit snacks
These other healthy snacks are made from dried fruit - no baking required!
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Recipe
Homemade Nak'd Bars
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 110 g dates
- 50 g sultanas
- 50 g mixed nuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the dried fruit to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.
- Tip the mixture onto a board. Add the chopped nuts and knead them into the mixture. (If you add them to the processor, you'll lose the texture of the nuts).
- Divide the mixture into 6 equal balls.
- Shape each ball into an oblong log (or leave them as balls if you prefer).
Notes
- For chocolate fruit and nut bars, add a rounded tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa to the food processor
- Add the grated zest of half a small orange for a natural orange flavour
- In place of raisins, you can also use dried blueberries, cranberries or cherries. You could also use a teaspoon of freeze-dried raspberries. Avoid using fresh fruit which will make the mixture too wet.
- Vary the nuts to suit your taste. Unsalted cashews, hazelnuts and almonds all work well.
- If you want a higher protein variant of these raw fruit and nut bars, add a tablespoon of peanut butter to the mixture in the food processor, and increase the nuts in the recipe to 100g.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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