From after school to quick weekend bites, here are some of our favorite nutritious, delicious family-friendly recipes using Nature’s Bakery bars.
Oatmeal Crumble Apple O's
Ditch the donuts and try these Oatmeal Crumble Apple Rings! Bonus: they’re so easy to make, even the kiddos can help out! Wash and slice apples into thin slices. Using a small round fruit/veggie cutter, cut out the centers of the apples. Spread your favorite nut butter (or try a sunflower seed spread for a nut-free version) on each ring. Sprinkle with crumbled Apple Oatmeal Crumble bars. Enjoy! By @food.kids.love
Aim for the stars and try this dazzling Snack Hack by @food.kids.love! So fun and easy to do with the entire family. Simply use a mini star fruit cutter to cut shapes out of your favorite Fig Bars and Brownies. Using a kid-friendly knife, slice fresh strawberries lengthwise and use the same fruit cutter to cut star strawberry shapes. Place the strawberry stars into the bars and voila: Star-berry Fig Bars and Brownies!
We all scream for NICE cream! Gather the fam to make this easy and tasty dairy-free treat by @food.kids.love! In a food processor, combine 1 cup of frozen banana, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1 tbsp of unsweetened oat milk, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Scoop into an ice cream container or loaf pan. Crumble a Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble bar into the mixture. Fold in gently. Cover and freeze for a few hours. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw for at least 15 minutes before scooping. Top with more of the crumbled bar and dye-free sprinkles to make it extra special!
Get those creative juices flowering and put together these fun and easy vegan cream cheese Fig Bar flowers with the kiddos. Combine 1/2 cup of vegan cream cheese, 1-2 tsp of maple syrup and 1/4 tsp of vanilla together in one bowl. Separate the cream cheese mixture into 3 separate bowls. In a food processor, grind up 1 tbsp each of freeze-dried ground strawberry, blueberry and mango separately. Add each flavor to the 3 separate bowls of cream cheese frosting and mix well. Put into a piping bag or Ziplock bag with a piping tip and pipe frosting onto a Fig Bar. Arrange as desired, and get creative with additional fruit or veggies (@food.kids.love added a tangerine, celery stalks, and crumbled Double Chocolate Brownies)!
This snack is the savory-sweet hack you didn’t know you needed! Gather four packages of Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars (two bars in each wrapper=eight bars total) and cut each Fig Bar in half. Chop 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in oil and put aside. Combine ¼ cup herbed cream cheese (such as Boursin) and ¼ cup cream cheese--both at room temperature--and mix in a small bowl until well combined. Tip: use vegan cheeses for a plant-based, dairy-free version. Dollop about ½ teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of each fig bar piece and add a small piece of sun-dried tomato. Finish with a fresh oregano leaf and enjoy!
There's s'more to our Brownies than just chocolate-y, dairy-free goodness! For an easy plant-based s'more you can make at home, take 4 packages of Nature’s Bakery Brownies and cut each bar in half. Place the pieces on a serving tray. Take 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs and sprinkle onto each Brownie. Cut 4 large vegan marshmallows into 4 equal pieces and place on top of each bar. Using a kitchen torch (or place under the broiler in your oven), brown and toast the marshmallow. Now try not to eat just one!
Our Fig Bars get a savory makeover in this simple hack that will up your salad game! Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme. Using five packages (two Fig Bars in each package=ten Fig Bars total) of your favorite Fig Bar flavor, cut each piece of Fig Bar into 6 cubes and add to the oil mixture. Combine, making sure that the Fig Bar pieces are evenly coated with the oil mixture. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until croutons are golden brown. Allow to cool, then enjoy as a topping on your salad, soup, or as a quick snack to munch on!
Our hearts are full (and our stomachs too) thanks to this berry good take on our Double Chocolate Brownies. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut shapes out of the brownies. Create sandwich ends by slicing the hearts in half horizontally. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 8-ounces cream cheese (tip: use non-dairy cream cheese for a vegan-friendly version!), 3 tablespoons of your favorite berry jam, and a pinch of kosher salt. Spread the filling on one half of the brownie heart and sandwich together using the top half. Top with a dollop of the creamy berry jam filling and garnish with your choice of fruit (we used berries and pomegranates for ours). Share with a loved one and enjoy.
Need to whip up some delightfully delicious semi-sweet bites in no time? We teamed up with our friend, pastry Chef Jane Soudah, to create the perfect pairing of flavors using our Original Fig Bar! Heat a bit of butter over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Sautee pear slices, maple syrup and a pinch of salt until the pear is tender and caramalized. Time for the cool down! Once your ingredients are at room temperature, dollop about ¼ teaspoon of mascarpone on top of the fig bar pieces. Top mascarpone with 2 slices of pear and sprinkle with 2 fresh thyme leaves. Enjoy!
Who woulda thought? Our Oatmeal Crumble Bars make the perfect pie to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Start by making the crust: Add Oatmeal Crumble Bars along with a touch of coconut oil into a food processor. Blend then press the ground bars into a silicone cupcake mold. Time for the frozen filling: Puree fresh raspberries and plain Greek yogurt. The finale (sauce): Add cornstarch and a pinch of sugar to a saucepan. Stir well over medium heat then add in pureed raspberries. Cool, and join filling then sauce onto the crust. Freeze for two hours then, boom! Store ‘em in freezer bags, and you got yourself the perfect, satisfyingly sweet treat the whole family will love.
Got fig bars? Got peanut butter? Great! You’re already halfway finished making these simple & satisfying after-school snack-wiches. Just cut a few Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars in half, spread creamy peanut butter on each side, put ‘em back together, and you’re all set. If you need a nut-allergy friendly alternative, sunflower seed butter works just as deliciously. Bakery Bonus: Top your snack-wiches with more peanut butter and a few fresh berries of your choice for maximum soft-baked satisfaction.
With this fanta-stick take on a fruit kebab, you won’t even realize we left out all the gluten. All you need is fruit, a Nature’s Bakery Gluten Free Fig Bar & a skewer for this satisfyingly sweet, simple DIY treat. Cut them into 1/2” pieces, push onto skewers in between sliced banana, strawberries & blackberries, and you got soft-baked satisfaction on a stick. Bakery Bonus: Keep a side of plain yogurt handy as the perfect complementary kebab dip. Who says gluten free diets have to get the short end of the stick?
The bakery’s best just got better. Spread a bit of almond butter on a Double Chocolate Brownie Bar and delight in a blissfully smooth bite-sized treat, perfect any time your sweet tooth could use a little soft-baked satisfaction.
