Walnut Butter and Jelly Bars + What You Need to Know About Walnuts
By Sammi Brondo — July 26, 2024
Like most dietitians, I’m a big believer in the nutritional power of nuts. Most nuts are a good source of different nutrients and versatile – they’re easy to use in so many ways. But, let’s talk about a nut that deserves a little more time in the spotlight: walnuts. With good fats, protein, fiber, and a ton of different ways to use them, walnuts are the nut you do not want to forget.
Walnuts: Nutrition Facts
Like most nuts, walnuts are filled with beneficial nutrients like good fats, plant-based protein and fiber. What’s unique about walnuts is they are the only nut rich in omega-3 ALA, an essential good fat. Specifically, walnuts have 2.5 grams of omega-3s in the form of ALA, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 13 whole grams of polyunsaturated, or good, fats per ounce.
These nutrients make walnuts an amazing choice to benefit heart health, the brain and inflammation Studies have shown that ALA may help to reduce inflammation. Additionally, polyunsaturated fat and fiber has been shown to be super heart healthy. Plus, on top of that, walnuts have prebiotic properties – meaning they help promote beneficial bacteria in the gut to support gut health too. Talk about a powerhouse!
How to Store Them
Because walnuts have so many amazing nutrition benefits, they’re one of my favorite foods to keep on hand. I love having them as a snack or incorporating them into different sweet or savory meals. They’re shelf-stable, so I always have them around to add an easy and delicious boost of nutrients to any meal.
Especially right now, when I’m trying to go the grocery store as little as possible, shelf-stable, nutrient dense options like California walnuts have been key to keep in the kitchen.
Pro tip: store walnuts in the fridge or freezer to maximize their freshness. Because walnuts are rich in the omega-3 ALA, keeping them cool helps to maintain the freshness of those good fats.
Ways to Use Them
The biggest misconception that I’ve seen with nuts in my private practice is that they’re only for snacking. And trust me, while walnuts make a delicious snack, there is seriously so much more you can do with them!
One of my favorite recipes ever is Joy Bauer’s Rosemary-Spiced Walnuts. Pretty much all you do is add olive oil and dried rosemary and roast the walnuts, but the flavor is out of this world. Try adding them to your favorite pasta dish – thank me later!
I also love using chopped walnuts as a plant-based protein in different savory meals. They work perfectly in tacos, pesto and salads. A few months ago, I collaborated with chef Frank Graziosi to make this Vegan Walnut Bolognese and it’s absolutely incredible.
And of course, don’t forget about the sweet options too! Pretty much nothing beats banana bread or chocolate chip cookies with walnuts – there’s a reason Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip walnut cookies are one of their best sellers! Oh, and if you haven’t tried walnut butter yet, prepare to be blown away. It’s the nut butter you never knew you needed.
Recipe: Walnut Butter & Jelly Bars
These Walnut Butter & Jelly bars make the most amazing snack. They have the perfect touch of sweetness from the walnut butter, jelly and strawberries, and they have plant-based protein, fiber and good fats, all which help to make them super filling too. They’ve been one of my favorite afternoon snacks lately and I have a good feeling they’ll be yours too! Store them in the fridge for 3-4 days, or keep ‘em in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Top Tips:
- I’m personally a big fan of strawberries and strawberry jelly in this recipe, but any berries will do! The berries can be either fresh or frozen – whichever you have on hand.
- If you don’t have maple syrup, simply swap 1:1 for honey.
- I recommend making the walnut butter ahead of time to save time when making this recipe. Plus, it means you’ll have a bunch of walnut butter on hand to use as needed If you’re up for it, try toasting the walnuts for a few minutes before making them into walnut butter. It seriously elevates the flavor.
Ingredients
For the walnut butter:
- ½ lb California walnuts
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the crust:
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil softened
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the top:
- ¾ cup strawberry jelly
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup walnut butter
Instructions
For the walnut butter:
- In a blender or food processor, add the walnuts, maple syrup and salt to taste. Grind for about 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is well blended and paste-like, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Slowly add in the oil and continue to blend for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and cohesive.
- Makes ¾ cup walnut butter. Recipe uses ½ cup. Reserve remaining walnut butter and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
For the bars:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients for the crust. Grind until oats and walnuts are finely chopped and mixture is smooth and cohesive.
- Use a spoon to add crust to greased pan. Using your hands, flatten and even out the crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the sides are lightly browned.
- While crust is in the oven, prepare the jelly layer. Add jelly, frozen strawberries and coconut oil to a pan over medium heat. As it cooks, use a wooden spoon to gently mash frozen strawberries. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Place 1/3 cup chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and add to preheated oven. Toast for 10 minutes, until fragrant.
- Once crust is done, pour jelly layer on top. Shake pan around gently to disperse jelly in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator to cool for about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator. Add walnut butter on top of jelly by the flattened spoonful, covering as much of the top as possible (there will be gaps where the jelly still shows through).
- Sprinkle toasted chopped walnuts on top and place back in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Remove parchment paper from the pan and cut bars into 8 squares. Store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
This blog post was made in partnership with California Walnuts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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