“Out of his fulness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. . . ” John 1:16
Chewy and buttery Fruit & Nut Butter Bars are the perfect treat for your next get together or for a midday snack. It’s going to be hard to eat just one of these so plan ahead when making these butter bars.
Have you ever had a bunch of ingredients leftover after a holiday and you definitely don’t want them to go to waste? But what do you do with them? Yes, some of the ingredients can go into the freezer until next time but that doesn’t work with all your leftovers.
That’s when I begin to think of ideas on what to do with them…. 🙂 Sometimes, my recipe ideas are a bust but once in a while I get a real gem and let me tell you, these Fruit & Nut Butter Bars are absolutely amazing.
What Makes These Bars So Good?
I really believe what makes Fruit & Nut Butter Bars extra special is the browned butter and the brown sugar mixture. When browning the butter you have to keep an eye on it because there is a fine line of a golden browned butter that has an incredible nutty flavor and burnt butter that is bitter and nasty. 😣 When I say keep an eye on it, do not leave the pan to go answer the phone or do the dishes because you can easily have a mess on your hands. Now, saying all of this; it is not hard at all to make the browned butter at all.
The other ingredient I mentioned is brown sugar. There isn’t any granulated (white) sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar’s color is due to the presence of molasses. This is what makes the sugar a richer flavor and is the second reason for the rich flavor of these Fruit & Nut Butter Bars. Mixing the two together almost makes a caramel like batter with an amazing fragrance.
Of course, what really brings the ‘over the top’ taste are the dried fruit and walnuts. A little chewy and a little bit of crunch and a lot of flavor with great texture. Fruit & Nut Butter Bars would be perfect with a hot cup of tea or a nice, cold glass of milk.
Mama Fawn’s Tips. . .
- Keep an eye on the butter as it browns so that it will not burn.
- I use a mixer for this recipe because it is a very thick dough. If you want a workout or you are ‘strong like bull’ then feel free to use a spoon to mix the dough.
- You can definitely substitute whatever dry fruit or nut you prefer, just make sure you have the same measurements of ingredients.
- I use a parchment lined baking sheet for these bars. If you are not using parchment paper, then make sure you butter the baking sheet.
- To help with pressing the dough evenly in the baking sheet, I use the wrapper from the butter. It has enough of the butter to help from not sticking and keeps your hands clean.
Fruit & Nut Butter Bars
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy48
bars20
minutes20
minutesIngredients
2 sticks salted butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar
2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Directions
- Brown Butter- Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, continually swirl the butter around until it is medium brown in color. Keep careful watch since the butter can burn in seconds. Remove the browned butter from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Add the brown sugar and browned butter to a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Next, add the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and beat for about a minute making sure all the ingredients are mixed well.
- Mix in the dried cranberries, dried apricots, and walnuts.
- Prepare the baking sheet (12×17) with parchment paper. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn light golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely. When they are fully cooled, remove the bars from the pan. Cut the bars into 48 bars and serve. Enjoy!
