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Calling all coffee lovers. These Chewy Café Mocha Nut Bars have an intense chocolate and espresso flavor, making for a fabulous and satiating snack.
Every once in a while I need crave a sweet treat. Something not as indulgent as a cupcake, but sweeter than a date :) Generally, I am not afraid to give in to cravings so, I let myself enjoy a treat and move on.
I have a slight fixation with candy, M&M’s® to be exact. My favorite are M&M’s® Peanut, ever since I was a little girl. This is why I am so excited that for the first time in 75 years M&M’s® is letting fans decide the next M&M’s® Peanut flavor. I love that! There are three yummy flavors to choose from – M&M’s® Coffee Nut, M&M’s® Chili Nut, and M&M’s® Honey Nut.
I picked up one of each flavor from Walmart and while you can’t go wrong with any of them, my favorite is M&M’s® Coffee Nut.
Now, back to my favorite flavor, M&M’s® Coffee Nut. It has the most wonderful espresso flavor, the perfect amount of sweetness from the chocolate, and of course, the crunchy peanut housed in the middle of all that goodness! YUM!
I loved the M&M’s® Coffee Nut so much that I decided to make a treat out of it for when I get those cravings. I wanted something that would allow me to easily practice portion control and my Crunchy Peanut, Almond, and Oat Bars came to mind. They became the inspiration for these Chewy Café Mocha Nut Bars.
There are four parts to these Chewy Café Mocha Nut Bars – the chewy, the café, the mocha, and the nut.
- The mocha and the chewy: The base of the bars is made from chocolate graham crackers, which is responsible for the chew, and a tiny bit of coffee granules to further amplify the chocolatey flavor.
- The café: M&M’s® Coffee Nut takes care of that!
- The nut: For textural and nutty variety there are lots of chopped almonds to complement the peanuts from the M&M’s®.
These bars make the perfect snack for chocolate and espresso lovers. They will satisfy your cravings and are easily rationed for portion control. You can even argue for it to be used as a wake-up breakfast bar…no judgement :) Or, how about something to keep you awake while driving home in rush hour traffic? Honestly, you really don’t need an excuse…just have at’em!
Chewy Café Mocha Nut Bar
Yields 8 bars
Printer friendly version
Ingredients
⅓ cup honey
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (52-54 grams) chocolate graham crackers
1 ¾ cup raw almonds, separated
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
1 package (1.74 ounce/49.3 grams) M&M’s® Coffee Nut
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a 8-inch baking dish with a sling made from parchment paper*.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, peanut butter, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, grind together the graham crackers, ¼ cup of the almonds, and coffee granules (about 20 pulses).
- While pulsing, slowly pour in all of the honey mixture through the feed tube. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary, and continue pulsing until well combined.
- Transfer the contents of the food processor to a large bowl. Chop the remaining 1 ½ cup of almonds and add to the bowl. Add the chocolate chips and M&M’s® Coffee Nut and stir to incorporate.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and tightly pack the mixture down in the baking dish with slightly wet hands, creating an even surface.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the baking dish on a cooling rack for 1 hour.
- Using the overhang from the sling, gently remove the plaque and cut evenly into 8 bars.
Notes
*I used rolled parchment paper and pulled out two pieces, cutting when I reached 8 inches for each piece. I centered one piece of parchment across the baking dish, then rotated the dish 90 degrees and centered the second piece of parchment across the baking dish, so that all four sides are covered.
Storage
Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Separate each layer using a sheet of parchment paper.
I hadn’t heard that there were new flavors of peanut M&Ms, but I’ll have to keep an eye out for them! These nut bars look like a great way to indulge a little while still being healthy. And wow…early morning gym sessions 5x/week?! You’re a superstar!
Once you spot them, grab a few bags. They’re selling out quickly! Yes, I need to make more this weekend…I’m down to my last bar!!! Ha, hardly a superstar. Just trying to live a healthier lifestyle by getting more active and eating more produce. My workouts only last about an hour and if I don’t do it in the mornings, I’ll never do it. I’m not super hardcore or anything like that, but thanks for the compliment :) I’m looking forward to living a long and healthy life :D
These bars look and sound fab! I love coffee and chocolate flavors together!
Thank you! They are quite addicting and I often find myself craving them :D Agreed, coffee and chocolate are definitely a match made in heaven.
As many different ‘bars’ as I buy, why haven’t I made my own? I am a coffee and a chocolate lover, so this is right up my alley! I can’t wait to try them! (client)
I suggest doubling the batch because you’re going to run out quickly :D
Such clean lines! Love the aesthetic.
It’s the OCD in me :)