These Spicy Mango Jalapeño Nut Bars are inspired by my favorite airport snack, Sahale Snacks Mango Tango Mix. This trail mix is tasty and quite satisfying, but it costs over $10 for just an 8 ounce package!
I usually drop whatever dollar amount for good food, but $10 for a snack that I could make a much larger amount of myself seems a little ridiculous.
So, I set out the goal to make a portable, protein-packed, affordable snack that will satisfy both my sweet and salty cravings.
With great success, these nut bars were created!
I had so much fun making these! I usually would like to keep the ingredients to a minimum, but, in this case, the 13 + ingredients are so worthy of being included. The flavor profile is complex, exciting and crazy delicious!! Like, sooo yummy!
They’re balanced with salty, sweet and spicy flavors and are packed with dried jalapenos, chili lime-infused dried mango, spicy roasted almonds, roasted peanuts, coconut shreds, lime zest and notes of black pepper and smoked paprika. They have pockets of flavor, making each bite as exciting as the next!
Besides being the tastiest snack eva’, they’re also protein-packed! Each bar has a whopping 15 grams of protein, making them ideal for travel, a midday pick me up or a post-workout snack.
To save some time, you could buy dried mango, dried jalapeno and roasted almonds, however, I highly recommend making everything yourself. It’ll take 8 hours in the dehydrator for the mangoes and jalapenos, but, during that process, you can knock out the rest and have it set aside so everything’s ready after the dehydration process.
Once you taste these, you will definitely realize that making everything yourself was so worth it. The flavors and textures are so complex, satisfying, exciting and straight up delicious!
When you try them out, don’t forget to tell me about it! Drop a comment below, rate the recipe and find me on Instagram and Facebook!
Enjoy!
Spicy Mango Jalapeño Nut Bars (V/GF)
These Spicy Mango Jalapeño Nut Bars are the perfect balance of salty, sweet and spicy. They're deliciously complex, have a whopping 15 grams of protein per bar and are great for an on-the-go snack.
Ingredients
Dried Jalapeño and Chili, Lime Infused Mangoes
- 4 medium jalapenos
- 2 medium ripe mangos
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- zest from 1 lime
Spicy Roasted Almonds
- 1 cup raw whole almonds
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of cayenne *optional
Nut Bars
- 1 cup spicy roasted almonds (recipe above)
- 1 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 2/3 cup creamy natural nut butter
- 1/3 cup dried jalapeños, diced (recipe above)
- 1/3 cup dried mangos, chopped (recipe above)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- zest from 1 lime
Instructions
Dried Jalapeño and Chili, Lime Infused Mangoes
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Cut the stems off of the jalapeños and discard, then cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Set peppers aside while you prepare the mango slices.
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Mix chili powder, salt and lime zest together and set aside.
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Cut the mango into 1/4″ slices, then lightly season the slices with the chili lime mixture.
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Place mango slices into food dehydrator in a single layer. On another layer, place the jalapenos cut side up, allowing some space in between them. Cover and dehydrate at 135 degrees for 8 hours.
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After 8 hours, remove mangoes and peppers from the dehydrator. Finely chop all of them and set aside until ready for use.
Spicy Roasted Almonds
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until almonds are evenly coated in the seasonings.
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Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Set aside until ready for use.
Nut Bars
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Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.
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Line a square baking pan with parchment paper press the mixture into the pan. Take your time really pressing it in there, this will help them hold together properly.
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Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
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Remove from freezer and let thaw for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 bars or 16 squares. Enjoy!
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Store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Notes: If you don't have a dehydrator, you may cook them in the oven at the lowest setting (180 degrees F) for 8 hours instead. The texture should be pretty pliable and not over cooked. Although, if it gets a little on the crispy side, that's okay. They'll still be great in these nut bars.
You might also like my Homemade Granola, Dark Chocolate Covered Superfood Bars and my Chipotle Lime Watermelon Jerky!
