Baseball is what it’s all about in our house these days. We lost in the main bracket of the post-season tournament and are now playing in the consolation round and doing well. We were winning our game yesterday against the Red Socks and had the game postponed due to rain in the bottom of the 3rd inning when we were ahead 3-0. The boys were playing well and devouring the snacks that I brought to keep them full of energy!
On another note, just a while back, I added a cool little survey feature to this site. You may have noticed it on the lower right portion of the homepage, in the “navigation” section. This poll was to determine which of three potential recipes people most wanted to see –Mango Chicken, Chocolate Cupcakes or Candy Bars.
Well, I was not all that surprised to find that the candy won out! Were you? All the guys I know that go to the site voted candy bars –well, all two of the guys that I know who frequent the site. So take that statement with a grain of salt. And speaking of salt, that is what is sprinkled on top of the candy bars in the photo above! It’s different and tasty. Try it out for yourself.
Gluten-Free Candy Bars
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or palm shortening
- 2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
- 2 cups pecans
- 1 cup creamy roasted almond butter
- ½ cup agave nectar or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F
- Warm grapeseed oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saute pan over high heat
- Add pecans to pan and cook for 3 minutes
- Remove pecans from pan and immediately transfer to a baking sheet
- Place pecans in 500°F oven for 3 minutes, remove and cool
- Warm almond butter, agave, vanilla and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat
- Remove from heat and stir pecans into almond butter mixture
- Spread batter into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and freeze for at least 1 hour
- Remove from freezer, cut into 1 x 3 inch bars; place on small parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Melt chocolate in saucepan over lowest heat possible
- Drizzle chocolate over each bar
- Sprinkle bars with remaining ½ teaspoon salt
- Freeze and serve
These candy bars are more complex than my usual recipes –though no one ever said making candy from scratch would be easy! If you want to simplify the recipe, toast your pecans in the oven instead of using the double roasting method; I do this to make the pecans super crunchy, though if you can stand less crunch in your bars, skip that step.
I based this recipe on Pay Day Candy Bars from a favorite site of mine called Eating Out Loud. The author of this site, Allen, seems like that all around cute/smart guy that everyone wants to meet; I have seen his photo online, I think on stumbleupon, however can’t locate it anymore, so you’ll just have to imagine!
MARIA D ROBINSON says
do you still have the Payday recipe? i cannot get to that site! :(
Elana says
Maria, thanks for your comment! It looks like that site does not exist anymore.
sarah adlerstein says
your new site is beautiful!
okay, this recipe is such a winner. make these every holiday season for gifts and now i would not be allowed not to as they are requested by many!
i’m voting to keep this recipe!
Elana says
Sarah, thanks for letting me know you are enjoying this recipe! For those wanting to learn more about this conversation, check out this post:
https://elanaspantry.com/the-pantry-remodeled/
Thanks for the vote!
Elana