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Need an easy recipe for your holiday party? Thanks to Whole Foods Market I made these Maple Nut Bars, that will be the perfect quick recipe for all your holiday needs!
Raise your hand if you served mixed nuts at your Thanksgiving party. Oh, goodie, I see lots of hands.
Mixed nuts are always at every celebration we have. Any party is an excuse to buy mixed nuts! And, since I usually buy a ton, there are usually lots of leftovers. So, if you’re in the same boat as me and have leftover mixed nuts, then I have the recipe for you today – and it can double as the dessert you need to bring to your work party next weekend!
These Maple Nut Bars are my new favorite way to eat mixed nuts. And shortbread cookies! They come together super fast and easy, which is so important this time of year.
I’m willing to bet you have at least one party you’re going to in the next few weeks, plus one you’re hosting. And that’s not including your kids’ class parties, your family showing up at your house on Christmas Eve, and all the cookie platters you have to make…am I right?
So, in these crazy-busy times of too many places to be, we need quick and easy recipes that will wow a crowd. And we need a place to go that can get us what we need quick. Enter: Whole Foods.
I got most of the ingredients for these bars at Whole Foods. Their mixed nuts come in a huge bag and there were no peanuts in sight, which is my favorite kind of mixed nut batch! (Shhh…don’t tell my husband I said that!) The nuts and their 365 Shortbread Cookies are the basis of these bars, along with the Pure Maple Syrup.
I love going to Whole Foods; it’s one of my favorite places to wander. This holiday season, they want to help make your entertaining easier when you buy some, make some at Whole Foods. Let them help you with the little things, so that you can enjoy all your special moments – stress free. Check out their Holiday Guide with helpful ideas from recipes, to substitutions, ideas, even online ordering!
And, while you’re there, pick up some shortbread cookies, maple syrup, and mixed nuts. Then you can make these bars!
These bars start with a crust of shortbread crumbs mixed with butter, but they’re not crunchy. They’re actually soft and chewy.
The star of the bars are the mixed nuts. You can use any combination you’d like, but I love the Deluxe version, with Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and, Hazelnuts, etc. Chop them coarsely and sprinkle them over the crust that’s been pressed into the pan.
On top of the crust goes a mixture very similar to a pecan pie recipe; eggs, sugar, butter, and maple syrup get mixed together and poured over the top. Then it’s baked until it’s brown and set. Once it’s cool you slice them into thin bars, then you drizzle them with melted chocolate chips. I drizzled the chocolate diagonally, both ways, for a pretty diamond pattern. Once the chocolate sets, you have a really pretty bar!
And the taste. Well, if you love mixed nuts + maple…you’ll love these bars! These are sweet and rich – no need for huge slices. Plus, this way they feed a crowd (or fill lots of holiday platters).
Maple Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups shortbread cookie crumbs about 24 cookies or a 12-ounce package
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter divided (see note)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts see note
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Pulse cookies in food processor until they are a fine crumb. Alternately, you can crush them in a plastic bag using a rolling pin. Mix with 1/4 cup melted butter and press into the bottom of your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle nuts evenly over crust.
- Whisk eggs, maple syrup, sugar, eggs, remaining butter, and vanilla. Pour over nuts.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned around the edges. Cool completely and slice into bars, leaving the slices close together.
- Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Place melted chocolate in a ziploc bag with the tip cut off and drizzle chocolate over the top of the cut bars. Chill to set and serve.
Thanks to Kitchen PLAY and Whole Foods Market, I was able to make these bars with you. Whole Foods provided me with a gift card and sponsored this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
Last Updated on May 12, 2020
These look delicious Dorothy! I love the combination of flavors!
Thanks Martha!
When you start an ingredient list is sugar and maple syrup, sandwiched between shortbread cookie crumbs and chocolate chips, you just know it’s going to be ah-may-zing. Maple and nuts is always a good combo, these look so fab Dorothy!
LOL, right? Thanks Taylor!
Am I missing where the other half of the butter goes? Is it melted with the chocolate? I looked a couple of times–thinking I just missed the comment. Probably my eyes. I agree these look great but you had me at maple and nuts. LOL Thanks, Erin.
Ah! Thank you! It goes in with the eggs. 🙂 I’ll fix that.
Thanks, Dorothy. Sorry about calling you Erin. I thought I saw that was your name on one of the other posts. I’m pretty bad with names. HA I updated the recipe and it’s baking now. I want to deliver it pretty early so I was worried about the chocolate firming up enough so I “cheated” a bit and put the chocolate under the nuts on the crust, then put the rest on there. Hopefully it won’t be a disaster. HA Sometimes I get myself in trouble trying to think too much. Thanks again for a great recipe. I will do it again the right way with the chocolate on top but this time I figured I could get away with it. I even considered not melting the chips and either putting them under the nuts or mixing the two. What do you think?
I think they’d be great added into the mixture! Like a chocolate pecan pie. 🙂
Bars were a BIG hit! I appreciate all the help and another successful recipe!
Yay!! I’m so glad!
These look fantastic, Dorothy. I have a similar nut bar recipe from before I had diabetes. I am planning to make it over to be low carb and gluten-free now, but your version is lovely!
Thanks Carolyn!
I bet the combination of mixed nuts and maple syrup is amazing. This recipe sounds so easy to make too. Double Win!
Thanks Laura!
I love that you used 3/4 cup maple in these…now that’s the way to do it to give a really intense depth of mapley flavor! I bet your house smelled so good while these baked!
Yes it did! I could drink maple syrup. 🙂
These look terrific, Dorothy! I love Whole Foods products, and these bars are a great way to showcase them. These bars are a great alternative to overly sweet cookies. I’m pinning these to try soon.
Thanks Marcie!
Mixed nuts are one of the reasons I never get to the main dish at parties:) I would like these even more than the nuts! Shortbread crusts are one of the best and maple goes along perfectly with nuts. Looks delicious Dorothy!
Thanks Mary Frances! I have that same problem with mixed nuts! 🙂
You know I didn’t serve any nuts but we do love them around our house but it is just something I don’t often buy unless we are having a party or something. I love that there is maple in these bars!
I can’t believe how simple these are to make and they look OUTSTANDING! It’s like a mini pecan pie, but better because there’s more crust and more nuts too. Love!
Totally! Thanks Erin!
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