Homemade KIND Bars
from https://www.theyummylife.com/

After considerable trial and error, I think I've hit on authentic tasting copycats of the real thing. This post is long, because I'm sharing 8 recipes for the most popular KIND bars. If your favorite didn't make the list, chances are you'll be able to figure out how to modify my recipes with different ingredients, or make up your own. They all follow the same basic formula.

• Nut Delight
• Fruit & Nut Delight
• Apricot Almond
• Blueberry Pecan
• Almond Coconut (front runner among Yummy readers)
• Dark Chocolate, Nuts & Sea Salt (a close second)
• Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Cashew
• Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

The texture of KIND bars is part of their appeal, crunchy nuts with a slightly chewy texture; a little bit sticky, but not too goopy to cut, hold their shape, and store for later. The key to the texture is cooking the honey syrup to the right temperature before mixing it into the nut mixture.

Other Bars to Experiment With:

• Almond Walnut Macadamia
• Madagascar Vanilla Almond
• Cashew & Ginger Spice
• Honey Roasted Nuts & Sea Salt
• Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt
• Cranberry Almond
• Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio
• Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew
• Apple Cinnamon & Pecan
• Peanut Butter & Strawberry
• Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan (chocolate drizzle)
• Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond (mocha? drizzle)
• Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut (chocolate drizzle)
• Dark Chocolate Almond Mint (mint? chocolate drizzle)
• Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Nut (chocolate drizzle)
• Caramel Almond & Sea Salt (caramel drizzle, like chocolate drizzle)
• Almonds & Apricots in Yogurt (yogurt drizzle, like chocolate drizzle)
• Extra Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
  - Crafted with cacao nibs, heart-healthy almonds, and a touch of sea salt, for a deliciously extra dark twist on our classic Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bar
  

  Ingredients: Almonds, peanuts, chicory root fiber, honey, sugar, palm kernel oil, glucose syrup, alkalized cocoa, cacao nibs, unsweetened chocolate, rice flour, sea salt, soy lecithin, natural flavor, cocoa butter.

Instructions

Step 1. Toast the nuts (if you didn't buy them already roasted). Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast them in a 350 degree F. oven for about 10 minutes until they are fragrant and lightly toasted.

Step 2. In the meantime, spray or grease a large bowl, mixing spoon/spatula, 9x13 baking sheet, and the bottom of a drinking glass. Set them aside for now. (This step makes it so much easier to assemble the bars without having the ingredients stick where you don't want them.) You could also add greased parchment paper to the baking sheet for easier removal from the pan.

Step 3. Assemble the nut/fruit mix ingredients. Each of the 8 bar recipes include some combination of these ingredients. Almonds are left whole. Whatever other nut combination you use, some of the nuts should be chopped, because the smaller nut pieces help bind the mixture together.

Step 4. Add the toasted nuts, puffed millet, flaxseed, and dried fruit (if using) to the large bowl that has been greased. Stir to combine. Set aside.

KIND bars contain "crisp rice" in their ingredient list; however their rice pieces are tiny balls. I couldn't figure out how to replicate that, and found the puffed millet to be the closest & easiest option. The puffed grains aren't crispy, but they add lightness to the bar texture. If you prefer something crunchy, you could use a crispy brown rice cereal (similar to Rice Krispies).

Step 5. Combine the honey, brown rice syrup, vanilla, salt, and apple juice, if the recipe calls for it, in a 1-1/2 or 2 quart saucepan. Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture. I used a heat tolerant spatula for stirring; it does a great job of evenly scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir the mixture. A wooden spoon is another option. The apple juice is only added to the syrup for the bars that have dried fruit to enhance the fruit flavor

Step 6. Over medium-high heat, cook mixture until it reaches 260 degrees--this is the "hard ball" reading on the candy thermometer (takes approx. 6-8 minutes). Stir it frequently; the mixture will foam up as it cooks. Watch it constantly once it reaches 240 degrees, because the heat rises very quickly after that and will hit 260 faster than you might expect.

If you accidentally overcook the syrup, as long as it hasn't started burning, you can still use it. The difference is you'll have KIND brittle instead of bars. You can break it off into hard pieces, instead of cutting it into chewy bars. It still tastes great.

Step 7. Immediately pour the hot syrup into the nut mixture. Stir quickly and thoroughly, scraping from the bottom, until everything is evenly coated and mixed.

Step 8. Quickly transfer the hot mixture to the sprayed/greased 9x13 pan. It cools and thickens fast. Spread it evenly in the pan. It's easiest to do this with your hands; spread and press the mixture to close in gaps and distribute evenly all over the pan. Use the bottom of a greased/sprayed drinking glass to flatten the mixture further; use a tapping motion to pack it down compactly.

Step 9. Cool the bars in the pan approx. 20 minutes. (They are easier to cut when they are still slightly warm and haven't completely hardened.) Flip the pan over and tap it to release the mixture in one big piece. Or if using parchment, use this to remove the bars from the pan.

Step 10. Cut the bars. I use a pastry scraper/chopper for making straight even cuts; you can also use a big knife. First cut the slab into quarters. Then cut each quarter into 5 bars crosswise, for a total of 20 bars. (NOTE: If the bars cool too much and become too hard or brittle to cut, put them in a warm oven for 1-2 minutes to soften and then proceed with cutting.)

Step 11. Dipping Bottom in Chocolate and/or Adding Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

If you want yours to have chocolate bottoms, it's easy to do. Before adding the drizzles on top, melt chocolate chips and dip the bottoms of each bar in the melted chocolate. Rest the bars on parchment paper and then add drizzles on top, if desired. Let set until hardened, then gently peel the bars off of the parchment paper.

To add chocolate drizzles, add chocolate chips and oil to a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high power in 20 second intervals, stirring at each stop, just until last chips melt into mixture. Add melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle; insert bottle in a jar of hot water to maintain melted consistency if you aren't using it immediately. Alternatively, you can add melted chocolate to a ziptop plastic bag, snip the corner with scissors, and squeeze chocolate through hole. If you want to mimic the pattern on KIND bars, apply the chocolate in diagonal stripes.

FOR CHOCOLATE DRIZZLES (optional):

1 cup dark chocolate chips -- look for chips that are 60-70% cacao. You can also chop a bar of dark chocolate into small pieces.
1 tablespoon vegetable, grapeseed, or coconut oil

Step 12. Storage. Stack the bars in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking. Or, wrap each bar individually in parchment paper before putting them in the container. The wrapped bars are convenient if you want to grab one to take with you when you leave home. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week. I prefer to refrigerate mine to extend storage even longer. Refrigerating the bars also keeps them firmer and less sticky bars. The bars may be frozen, too.