in the infinite vastness of the universe, our lives are mere instants even on a geological time scale, let alone a cosmic one; we will all be dead any minute — thomas nagel
I may be a total weirdo but Nagel’s words have brought me comfort more times than I can count. It’s the kind of wisdom a girl can use when she’s revisiting her to-do list for the fourth time at 3am.
Outstretched on the lawn last Monday with my back against the soft grass and my best girl by my side, I watched the moon brush up against the sun – that first black crescent slice into the orange globe enough to send warm salty tears streaming down my cheeks.
I’m no astrophysicist but even I can appreciate the celestial harmony that has to take place in order for our moon to appear the same size as our sun — an elliptical orbit so perfect that it can’t help but offer its humbled spectators a glimpse into the wonders of the universe. And we could all use a little wonder intercepting our worry these days along with more reminders of what unites us on this beautiful earth.
And speaking of syzygy (really wanted to use that word), I’m hoping these bars align with your long weekend plans.
I’ve been craving a new bar with a little zing and a lot of crispy crunchy deliciousness – a touch of salt, a touch of sweet and loaded with gorgeous ingredients. Dark chocolate covered nuts are probably my fave indulgence (next to sweet potato fries) and these bars satisfy. I tend to cut them up on the smaller side, a little goes a long way with these fellas given their density of ingredients. I’ve put together detailed Notes in the recipe card below to help guide choices, so you can check those out too!
Cheers to everyday joys, and not-so everyday joys, and to viewing the world with our third eye open.
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 8-12 dried figs (see Notes)
- 1 cup natural (unsweetened) almond butter
- 2 tsp grated ginger, optional
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 cup rice cereal (see Notes)
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 4 oz (about ⅔ cup) dark chocolate (see Notes)
- Small handful unsweetened coconut shavings, toasted (see Notes)
- Place figs in a bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover - allow figs to soften for 5 minutes or so.
- Drain figs and then mash as much as possible using a fork.
- Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a medium sized pot on the stove over low heat.
- Add mashed figs to the pot along with almond butter and freshly grated ginger.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir and help further break down fig while blending ingredients over low/medium heat for a minute or two (being careful not to burn the almond butter).
- Remove from the heat and add pumpkin seeds, rice cereal and chopped walnuts.
- Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper such that it hangs over either end (this will allow you to easily remove slab from pan).
- Spread the batter into the pan and use the back of a spoon or the palm of your hand to press everything down firmly and as level as possible (you could also use a mini roller if you happen to have one - fancy!).
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a sturdy pot on stove over lowest heat until fully melted (keep a close eye so that it doesn't burn and help it along by stirring). Pour the melted chocolate over the flattened slab and use the back of a spoon or spatula to distribute evenly.
- While the chocolate is still wet (unset), sprinkle with toasted (or untoasted if you prefer) coconut flakes or skip altogether if not your thing. Pop the pan into the fridge until cold and firm. When you are ready to enjoy, simply elevate parchment from both ends and then use a long knife to cut into long bars and then smaller squares (I made 6 long bars and cut each into 4 squares for 24 little bars).
- You can store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days or in the freezer for at least a month. If you cut them into squares before freezing, you can remove as you need and allow them to thaw slightly -- the chocolate is what gets the hardest (they are yummiest I think when still kind of firm and cold). Enjoy!
The Figs: fig varieties vary in size -- I recommend 12 dried mission figs or 8 dried Turkish figs.
The Rice Cereal: you can use any brand of puffed rice cereal here (One Degree & Erewhon are two brands of crispy brown rice) but you could also use Rice Krispies (in its original form or its reinvented whole grain brown rice form) -- the original is not high in sugar but the brown rice does offer slightly less sugar and slightly more protein/fiber.
The Nut Butter: you can absolutely play around with different nut butters, nuts and seeds in this recipe, according to your own taste and dietary preferences.
The Ging! raise your hand and do a little dance if you love ginger -- the ginger flavor does come through here so if you're a fan I think it will tickle your tootsies (it's also beautifully warming in the fall) but if it's not your thing, just skip it.
The Chocolate: you can use chocolate chips for simplicity or chopped dark chocolate of choice. The two chocolates I use most are Ghirardelli Intense Dark (86% cacao) bar and Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Baking Chips (63% cacao).
Coconut: desiccated or dry coconut comes in different shapes and sizes most commonly shredded and flaked - the flakes are larger shavings (so pretty) that add a delightful mild coconut flavor to baked goods (you can also use them to top oatmeal/yogurt/granola etc) - I especially like them toasted (I just add them to a dry skillet on low/medium heat and toss until they start to brown). I buy mine at Whole Foods but you can also find them at any bulk or health food store.
The Salt: I used unsalted almond butter for this recipe but incorporated salted pepitas which adds a touch of savory - if you are using unsalted butter/nuts/seeds you could add a pinch of salt at the end when you are mixing in the rice cereal if you wish or skip it.
photo credit to my husband and son who worked together to capture this beautiful moment at total solar eclipse in Oregon
These bars are so appetizing, Kelly! Can I also add some other nuts, as their passionate lover? Keep up the awesome job!
These were so good! (we liked the ginger too). I ended up using a bit more chocolate for the top otherwise kept everything the same. . thank you
Oh, yay, thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so happy you liked these bars (and the ging ;) yes, work the chocolate to your content – cheers.
Unfortunately we weren’t lucky to be able to see this phenomenon now in Europe… Your bars look and sound fantastic and the first photograph is so beautiful and perfectly made, I cannot take my eyes off it. I should make such raw sweets from time to time… they sound so easy when you describe them…
thanks so much Sissi – sometimes I enjoy the photography process (but usually it’s the toughest part for me ;) It took me a bit to adapt to the texture of no bake bars but now I love them and can’t go back (it’s a bit like discovering IPAs, you know? ;d) hoppy weekend my friend.
A very relatable post, I enjoyed reading and will be making these bars today.
Wonderful! I hope you enjoyed Amy :)
A beautiful and timely post Kelly, you have such a way with words. Our visibility here wasn’t great, lots of cloud but we were out, it was such a quiet, peaceful morning like the world was paying attention. These bars look incredible and your photos are so pretty! Now I need to go look up syzygy !
Carol, key “syzygy” into your computer dictionary, volume engaged, and hear how it’s pronounced — now tell me that’s not harmonic poetry. I could say it all night ;-) thank you for your note! A quiet, peaceful morning indeed.
Nigel’s words certainly put things in perspective. The bars sound and look wonderful, the texture must be wonderfully chewy and crunchy at the same time. I adore ginger so it’s definitely staying in. Great photo of the eclipse.
yes! exactly, crunchy & chewy – satisfying on all levels :)) have a great long weekend Eva! It’s super hot here and not feeling much like the transition to fall. But that’s okay, it will come ;d meantime, we’ll enjoy a little refuge by the water. Cheers.
Wise words from Nagel and a beautiful capture by your hubs and son of the eclipse in all its glory! Indeed, dust in the wind. I just watched Voyager on PBS http://www.pbs.org/the-farthest/home/ talk about mind blowing! These fig bars are everything, Kelly .. I’ve been craving something crunchy, salty, sweet too.. it’s time to do something about it! <3
Hi Traci, thank you for the link! We’ve been watching Cosmos: a space odyssey on Netflix (not too far in though) – will check out Voyager next (interspersed with our frivolous tv viewing of course! ;d) I hope you enjoy these bars if you have a chance to play! Thanks for stopping by, x.
Absolutely loved this post. From the first quote, which resonated just too well with me, to the very end, the picture of the eclipse, an event that also mesmerized us.
I could never imagine how intense that experience could be. So glad I had a chance to see it. Wonderful that you did too, and savored the moment, then came and offered us such a beautiful write up, and a great recipe to go with it…
thank you!
Hello Sally! What do you say: you, me, our men & fur babes Niagara Falls 2024? It’s worth planning for :) Thank you for your kind words, appreciate them, x.
Wow!!!! LET S MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!
Beautiful post Kelly. That’s some reality check at 3 am :)) loved reading your thoughtful words and reflections. The image of the eclipse is just stunning! We were not at all organized for it here but I could not agree more about the importance of taking time, stepping back and finding perspective. Thank you for that and for your delicious recipe (you know I still make your blueberry bliss bars, a favorite in our house).
Ah, thank you kindly Elizabeth. Stark reality indeed – the man’s got a point though, right? ;-) I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the blueberry bliss bars (no matter what I create on the blog, I can’t supplant them :) reader favorite). Cheers and have a beautiful weekend!
Thanks for sharing the eclipse picture. It’s incredible!!! It was overcast here, but I did sit on the front porch and felt it getting darker then lighter. It was all very peaceful.
I’m thrilled to see this recipe. A few weeks ago I bought a Costco bag of dried figs and wondering what I’m going to do with ALL those figs! These fig bars are a fantastic idea! Love all of the flavors and that ginger is a really nice touch. If I can’t find fresh ginger (which sometimes I can’t) would ginger powder work? Maybe 1/2 tsp. What do you suggest? Everything else I have except for the rice puff cereal, but that’s easy to find. Thanks!
Hi MJ! Was excited to read about your figs – a friend of mine brought me some precious fresh green figs from her garden and they were extraordinary! (best I’ve ever tasted). I had figgies on the mind after that :O. For the ground ginger, yes, I would say 1/2 tsp should work well – the flavor of course is different from fresh but I think the powder would still bring a nice touch. I hope you get a chance to make these!
Hey Kelly, Hope this finds you doing well and enjoying a beautiful autumn.
I’ve never had green figs. Have seen them in markets, but haven’t tried them. I won’t pass them up next time I see them. Thanks for the feedback on the ginger. Bought some rice cereal so I’m set to try. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Those look figgin’ good! Nice photo of the eclipse :D
dare i say un-fig-getable? (that actually hurt a bit). Nice photo indeed C! x.
Love You!
love back to you lady! miss all my girls back home <3