Sweet Spicy Nut Clusters (Straightforward, Oil-Free)

Sweet spicy nut clusters are the reliable snack when you cannot decide between salty and sweet! They are straightforward to make, plus vegan, grain-free, oil-free and gluten-free.

Baseball and summer camp and sweaty car travel with little boys–oh my! Summer vacation is unmistakably here!

If ever I needed extra energy, it’s now, so I am returning to one of my very early energy bar posts from years and years ago forkitchen-made KIND bars. This time, however, I’m treading into savory territory with my knockoff version of Sweet & Spicy KIND bars.

They are even better than they appear. As in, lick-every-sticky-finger-clean satisfying.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that shape of my DIY bars departs from the rectangular original. It is all about simplicity. I’ve made countless batches of my KIND bars recipe and cutting them into bars is a sticky chore, often resulting in highly irregular shapes an a pile of crumbles on the side.

The muffin tin solves all–no cutting!–and the results are pretty as a picture.

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (egg-free, gluten-free)
• Oil-free
• Gluten-free
• Grain-free
• Especially straightforward to make
• A savory energy bar option (a rarity in the world of energy bars and snacks)

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• whole almonds
• pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
• hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
• chia seeds
• brown rice syrup
• prepared bbq sauce, preferably a smoky one
• Spices: cumin, garlic powder and salt
• Optional: 2 to 3 teaspoons unflavored vegan protein powder

BBQ sauce is literally the secret sauce in these clusters. Only a tablespoon goes in, but it adds so much: smoky, spicy, and sweet, all in one.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

• Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Line 10 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper liners, silicone liners, or foil liners.
• In a medium bowl stir together the brown rice syrup, barbecue sauce, cumin, garlic powder and salt until blended. Add the almonds, pepitas, hemp hearts and chia seeds. Stir until combined and the seeds and nuts are all coated.
• Divide the nut and seed mixture evenly among the prepared cups. With moistened fingertips, lightly press down mixture in cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until almonds are fragrant and deep golden brown.
• Transfer muffin tin to a cooling rack and cool completely in pan. Place the cooled tin in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the liners from the cooled and chilled clusters.

Pro Tip

One step is imperative:line the muffin cups with liners (paper, foil, or silicone liners, all will work). These will stick like nobody’s business if you do not. With the liners, in place you simply cool the pucks entirely in the pan, lift out the lined pucks and peel off the liner. Done!

Vary the Nuts and Seeds

Do not feel beholden to the combination of nuts and seeds in the recipe. Mix it up according to what you like and what you have on hand. Aim for replacing the nuts and seeds with equal weights of alternatives, such as sunflower seeds (kernels), walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or cashews.

Option: Add Protein Powder

You can add a few teaspoons of unflavored plant based protein powder (vegan protein powder) to the clusters mix before baking. A bonus: it reduces the stickiness of the clusters! You certainly do not need to add protein to these, but if you have some unflavored protein powder on hand, try adding a few teaspoons (not too much; you still want a sticky coating on the nuts/seeds).

Happy eating everyone!