Raw Maple Pecan Bars

We were introduced to this recipe by a good friend and real food lover who has an excellent eye for good recipes.  We were instantly hooked especially since we have the best ingredients ready in our pantry – Certified Organic Native Missouri Pecans and the deepest, darkest most delicious Pure Maple Syrup you can find.   That’s all you need to make these addictive pecan treats.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Cookie + Kate

3 ¼ cups pecan halves (13 ounces)
2 cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor to break them up)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt (if using regular table salt, scale back a bit)
½ cup pure maple syrup, preferably darkest grade
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with one strip of parchment paper, cut to fit neatly across the base. The parchment paper will make it easy for you to slice the bars later. Or, use a mini muffin pan lined with paper baking cups.

Toast the pecans in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until they are fragrant about 4 to 7 minutes. Transfer them to shallow dish to cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats (pulsed in food processor, if necessary), cinnamon, and salt, and stir to blend. Set aside.

Make pecan butter by pouring 2 cups cooled toasted pecan halves into food processor and blend, pausing to scrape down the sides. Blend until smooth.

To pecan butter, add pure maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until combined. This will be a very thick, sticky mixture.

Scrape pecan butter mixture into oats and mix until evenly combined. Chop remaining toasted, cooled pecans into small pieces and stir into mixture.

Transfer the mixture to square baking pan or mini muffin cups. If you are using the baking pan, pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible. If you are using the mini muffin cups, measure out a heaping tablespoon, press into ball and place in cups. Press firmly down in muffin cup. Mixture will be a little crumbly but packing and cooling will resolve. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Makes one square baking ban or approximately 30 mini muffin cups.