Crunchies (South African)
Crunchies- South African Oatmeal Bar- Nutty, buttery, Sweet, and Crunchy – quite a treat these little wonders.
If you are one of those that dislike granola bars – I am going to say give this will make you a convert. They beat granola bar hands down. What sets them apart is the flavor- they are sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy, buttery and Naughty- How about Coconuttty?
Do you fall under the 1% that’s not addicted to sugar but still try some of my sugary recipes, guess what? This crunchy bar is for you, too! Yes, a sweet oatmeal bar that appeals to both the sugar addicts and the healthy peeps! My kind of peeps – just so you know, I fall under both categories.
They are also very adaptable for the healthy peeps- throw in some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and raisins. I have been playing around with gluten free flour and made a batch with rice flour and it worked out great- so if you want a gluten free snack, switch up the flour with rice flour.
All the guilt of these crunchies could be off set the by using some of the afore mentioned ingredients. Double up on these during this valentine season and pass it on.
If you want super crunchy bars make them slightly thinner and bake until they are golden brown.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Crunchies
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170g) butter
- 1½ tablespoons golden syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- ½-1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 1½ cups oats
- 1¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8 or 9x13 baking pan/sheet if you want thin crunchies. Grease or spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
- Melt butter, syrup, brown sugar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan until completely melted. You may do this in a microwave-safe bowl. Then add baking soda and mix.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl – oatmeal, flour, coconut, sliced almonds, and spices. Thoroughly mix.
- Pour the butter mixture into the bowl of oatmeal mixture and mix well.
- Press the mixture into the greased baking pan. You can use parchment paper to smooth it out.
- Start baking at 325℉ (160℃) for 10-15 minutes, then finish at 300℉ (150℃) for another 10 minutes or until golden brown, depending on your oven. Start checking after 20 minutes. Remove, let it cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. It will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tips & Notes:
- The recipe was updated from 8 ounces of butter to 6 ounces. I've tried it several times with less butter, and it works great.
- You can increase the baking time by about ten more minutes to get it really crunchy.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
I just made these, very yummy, thank you. I think next time I would like to reduce the butter and possibly increase the syrup for a more combined consistency. I wish I had increased the heat more than I did, to get the crunch. The flavour is amazing though…I added a bit of ginger as well.
Great recipe. I cooked it longer than suggested to get the correct crunch.
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback, Jan.
I am South African and this is hands down the best recipe I have used. I doubled the quantities and it worked beautifully. I cut the sugar by a few tablespoons- other than that – it was perfect.
Awesome! I am so glad this worked out for you, Fiona :)!
I’m making the Crunchies today, and I need to know if I can use the treacle sugar that I brought back from South Africa in place of American brown sugar. Thanks
Hi Rebecca!
Yes, you can use treacle sugar in place of American brown sugar when making Crunchies. Treacle sugar, with its rich, slightly molasses-like flavor, is a great substitute. It’ll add a deeper, caramel-like taste to your Crunchies, which can be quite delightful. Just keep in mind that treacle sugar may be a bit stickier and moister than American brown sugar, so the texture of your Crunchies might be slightly different, but still delicious. Enjoy your baking!
Should the coconut be sweetened or unsweetened?
Hi Linda!
I have used both variety and it works out just fine .
For 15 slices your recipe says 1 1/2 tablespoon of syrup. When I adjust for 30 slices it changes to 11 tablespoons of syrup. So am I reading the 1 1/2 correct? Thank you.
Sorry about that Odette. It was a technical issue and has been fixed. Please let me know how the recipe turns out for you:)