A delicious gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free carnival snack bar recipe made with popcorn, bananas, brown butter, chocolate, and nuts. These Brown Butter Carnival Bars are chewy, nutty, and finished with a glossy dark chocolate topping for an irresistible treat.
I’m sharing this recipe before a short trip to San Francisco. It’s an adaptation of a favorite from a well-loved cookbook and has quickly become a personal obsession. The original idea inspired me, but a few substitutions—most notably brown butter for coconut oil and a mix of pistachios and macadamias for peanuts—turned these into something uniquely rich and crunchy.
The switch from extra virgin coconut oil to brown butter adds a deep, toasty flavor. If you don’t want to make brown butter, the recipe also works with plain butter or coconut oil. I compressed the dough into a parchment-lined tart pan to make bars instead of cookies and finished them with a generous layer of dark chocolate for contrast.
These bars are indulgent, and yes, richer than a lighter version would be. If you prefer a lower-fat option, substitute the brown butter with the suggested alternatives below. Still, the brown butter version is worth the splurge for a special snack or dessert.
Brown Butter Carnival Bars
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day (original: “Carnival Cookies”). Makes 20–24 bars.Note: To make your own almond meal, pulse ½ cup (60 g) whole almonds (skin on) in a food processor until the texture resembles coarse sand. Don’t over-process or you’ll end up with almond butter.
If you prefer not to use brown butter, substitute ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin coconut oil or ¼ cup (½ stick / 4 tbsp / 2 oz) unsalted butter. Use any nuts you like—macadamia and pistachio make a particularly nice combination.
Ingredients
For the Carnival Bars:
½ cup (8 tbsp / 113 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter (to brown)
1 ½ cups (120 g / 4.25 oz) rolled oats
½ cup (60 g / 2 oz) almond meal
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 ½ cups (340 g / 12 oz) well-mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (50 g / 1.75 oz) toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (or other nuts)
⅓ cup (50 g / 1.75 oz) pistachios, roughly chopped (or other nuts)
1 cup (170 g / 6 oz) dark chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate (folded into the dough)
1 ½ cups (20 g / 0.75 oz) popped cornFor the Chocolate Topping:
Scant 1 cup (142 g / 5 oz) dark chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolatePreparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C / Gas Mark 4). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-11-inch (20 × 28 cm) tart pan or equivalent with parchment paper.
Brown the butter: melt ½ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl occasionally until it foams and the milk solids turn hazelnut brown and smell nutty. Strain the brown butter through a paper coffee filter or a paper towel-lined fine mesh strainer to remove solids. Measure ½ cup (60 ml) of the strained brown butter and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, ¼ cup of the cooled brown butter, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Fold in the 1 cup of dark chocolate (chips or chopped), then the chopped nuts, and finally the popped corn. The mixture will be looser than typical cookie dough—that’s expected.
Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined pan and press it evenly into an even layer. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
When cooled, melt the chocolate for the topping in a double boiler or briefly in the microwave until smooth and glossy. Pour the melted chocolate evenly over the cooled bars. Place the pan in the freezer for 15–20 minutes to set the topping and make slicing easier.
Using a sharp knife, cut into 20–24 bars. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Enjoy!
How to make popcorn on the stovetop
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, add ⅓ cup popcorn kernels and 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil—just enough to coat the kernels. Heat over medium-high, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent burning. When popping slows, immediately transfer the popcorn to a large heatproof bowl to keep it crisp.