Maple Nut Bars

These maple nut bars are made for nut lovers! If you’re the type who always adds walnuts to your chocolate chip cookies and banana bread, you’ll appreciate that nuts are the star of the show here. Combined with cozy maple syrup, these easy bars are absolutely swoon-worthy.

Easy Homemade Nut Bars

Maple nut bars are a delicious twist on traditional pecan pie bars. Maple syrup adds a wonderful flavor while still maintaining that trademark gooeyness of the bars. You’ll get a great sweet/crunchy combo that is really irresistible.

Much like butterscotch, I never thought I liked maple syrup. Then at some point I realized that I was basing my opinion on pancake syrup. Trust me, that’s not maple syrup. Once I tried real maple syrup, I realized that it has a nice sweetness and rich flavor that’s tough to beat. 

I used a combination of nuts from my pantry—pecans, cashews, almonds. You can, of course, just use one kind of nut or a few of your favorites. I like the look of whole nuts with these. But chopping them works just as well and will make them a little easier to cut.

Why You’ll Love This Maple Nut Bar Recipe

Here’s what makes these maple nut bars a standout:

• The best bar for nut lovers. Nuts are often an afterthought in recipes, but not here. These bars are loaded with crunchy nuts for a fabulous texture and taste. (If you love nuts, be sure to try my Oat Muffins with Nuts and Seeds, too.)
• Maple syrup adds a robust flavor. As mentioned before, maple syrup brings a unique flavor that’s hard to replicate with any other sweetener. It really elevates these bars and perfectly complements the earthy flavor of the nuts.
• Easy to make. These bars require just a few ingredients and are easy to whip up for any occasion. No complicated steps or layers!

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Crust:

• All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour for baking.
• Light brown sugar 
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?

For the Filling:

• Eggs – Eggs help bind everything together in this recipe.
• Maple syrup
• Unsalted butter – Melt it in a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
• Light brown sugar – Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Coarsely chopped assorted nuts – Pecans, cashews, almond, hazelnuts, etc.

What Grade of Maple Syrup Is Best for Baking?

For baking, I tend to like Grade A Medium Amber (also known as Grade A Amber Color with Rich Taste) but that’s just my preference. Grade A Dark/Extra Dark is also a good choice for baking; it has a stronger flavor than Medium Amber. And, of course, check the ingredients and make sure it’s real maple syrup—don’t make the mistake I did all of those years and use pancake syrup!

How to Make Maple Nut Bars

These bars are quite easy, but keep in mind when planning your baking that you’ll want them to cool completely before cutting and serving!

• Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9”x 13” x 2″ baking pan, then line it with parchment paper so the ends overhang by a couple of inches on the two short ends.
• Mix the crust ingredients. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until combined; the mixture will be crumbly, but hold together when you pinch it between two fingers.

• Form the crust. Press the crust dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, then bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. 
• Make the filling. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the maple syrup, melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and salt, then fold in the nuts.

• Bake. Pour the filling over the crust, then bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is set.
• Cool and cut. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into your desired size.

Variations

As written, these maple nut bars have a bit of sweet/salty contrast, but if you want to play that up even more, I recommend sprinkling some flaky sea salt over the tops of the bars right after they come out of the oven—Maldon salt or fleur de sel would be fantastic.

To add chocolate to the equation, you could fold chocolate chips or chunks into the filling mixture, or drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cooled bars.

How to Store

Place the maple nut bars in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

To freeze your maple nut bars, wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

More Recipes With Maple

• Maple Pecan Cookies
• Brown Butter Maple Oatmeal Cookies
• Maple Nut Muffins
• Peanut Butter Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
• Maple Ginger Cookies

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