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:
shelina says
awesome
Nonhle Ngcece says
I just tried my first attempt using this recipe but I substituted sliced almonds with sunflower seeds. I can’t get enough ot this. My family enjoyed the taste. I’ll definitely bake more of these ❤️❤️❤️
imma africanbites says
Woohoo! I’m glad you love this, Nonhle, as much as I do. And that’s a great substitute, by the way. Will try that some other time.
Katie Green says
Can you add melted chocolate on top of this?
imma africanbites says
Yes, you can. Now you got me thinking of making one soon. =)
Deb says
What type of oatmeal works best?
Amanda says
Mine came out like cake I really don’t know what is wrong
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Amanda! You can adjust the baking time, maybe add 10 minutes for cooking time. while checking if it’s cooked every 5 minutes. Make sure to preheat the oven and check its temperature too. I hope this helps! 🙂
Jess von Niebel says
Hi tried this for the first time, they tasted delicious but a little on the dry side. I baked in oven 15 mins 180 deg C than 10 mins at 160. Any tips on keeping them a bit moister?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Jess! I can’t really say why it came out try but you can try adjusting your cooking time and temp and check your butter 🙂
Julius Malema says
It’s a Crunchie, Not a Moistie.
Martin Visser says
I’m South African and have been making and eating crunchies since a kid (over 50 years), but this recipe is simply one of the best I ever made.
Immaculate Bites says
That is sweet! Thanks, Martin 🙂
Tates says
Thank you! Made this twice now and it’s so perfect and easy. I just used brown sugar, no white and left it on 160C for 28mins in thermofan oven as they were quite thick in the dish I used – still amazing!
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing your method. Glad you love this as much as I do.
Lynniece Harris says
I just made this recipe minutes ago. I melted my ingredients on the stove. And added the baking soda which made it puff up and then back down. I wasn’t sure to keep it on the burner as the mixture was slowly turning brown so I removed it BIG mistake as the mixture then hardened. So I placed it back on the burner to liquid again. it seemed fine but then it wasn’t together consist. It was really crumbly. So I added a bit more honey and mixed really well. Awaiting the results. I added pumpkin seeds, as well as almond extract and used almond flour in place of flour.
Zaheda says
Wow, what an easy recipe and oh so delicious .
ImmaculateBites says
Great! I am glad it was a hit with you, Zaheda!
Lydia Marsh says
Hi
I made a batch but it’s all crumbly, what can I bind it with?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Lydia! Try adding a little more honey and then freeze before cutting.
Eileen says
Can I use rice flour instead for a healthy option.
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Eileen. Rice flour will work just fine. Do let me know how it turns out for you.
Fiona says
I took out the white sugar and put finely chopped dates instead….. worked brilliantly! Such a lovely recipe! Thank you!
Leah Borkowf says
Can crunchies be frozen? I need to make some at least 2 weeks before required
ImmaculateBites says
Yes they can. Let it cool completely , place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen remove and tightly seal, until ready to be used.
Leave it out a few hours before serving .
Salina says
Super easy and super good can’t stop eating I hope there’s some left to take to bbq tonight!
imma africanbites says
This is a great munch indeed. So hard not to eat the entire thing.
Estie says
Hi. Crunchies are my best childhood biscuit memory; making them for the first time. Can I substitute all sugars with honey? Thanks in advance
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can.
Sharon says
How much honey to substitute sugar
ImmaculateBites says
equal amount of honey to sugar.
Jessica says
Hi Estie. I would also love to know about the honey instead of sugar. Have you tried it yet?
Imma says
Hi there. The recipe can include honey, but I’ve never replaced the sugar with honey because it wouldn’t be as crunchy. There’s something irreplaceable about sugar’s ability to make crunchy sweets that honey just can’t duplicate. However, if you care more about not having sugar than how crunchy it is, you can replace the ¼ cup of sugar with 3 tablespoons of honey. Please let me know how it goes if you try it.