A nutritious take on a classic celebratory treat!

To celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas (ਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ) & Diwali (ਦਿਵਾਲੀ), I decided to put my own twist on a classic treat: pistachio or pista barfi (ਪਿਸਤਾ ਬਰਫੀ). Barfi (ਬਰਫੀ) is a fudge-like sweet made from condensed milk and sugar, and is often mixed with other ingredients like almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Growing up, we had our fair share of barfi at weddings, gatherings, and holidays like Bandi Chhor & Diwali. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying this delicious treat, I wanted to mix things up and make my own variation of pistachio barfi: Pistachio Barfi Bars. These bars pack in the nostalgic pistachio barfi flavour while providing a nutritious punch!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Pistachios (ਪਿਸਤਾ): These nuts are packed with health-promoting nutrients like healthy fat, protein, fibre, vitamins like vitamin B6, and antioxidants. They are also quite versatile as I’m sure you’ve also come across many pistachio-flavoured treats!

Rolled Oats: Oats have been associated with a number of health benefits including for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar management. For this recipe, along with boosting the nutritional profile, they also help with texture and structure. I added 1/2 cup to this recipe, but I also included the option of 3/4 cup in case you prefer your bars a bit drier (more bread-like).

Almond Flour & Butter: Pistachios aren’t the only star nut in this recipe! Almonds, in the form of flour and nut butter, help form the texture and flavour of this recipe while also boosting the healthy fat, antioxidant, vitamin E, protein, and fibre content.

Oil: I used the neutral-tasting avocado oil in this recipe, but other oils will work just fine.

Milk: While this recipe uses regular cow’s milk, feel free to swap out for your preferred plant-based varieties.

Lemon Juice: Feel free to swap out for another acid like vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Sugar: I haven’t tried this recipe with liquid sweeteners, but other dry sugars like brown sugar or coconut sugar should work just as well.

White Chocolate Chips: These are optional and add a sweet boost to the barfi bars!

Others: Vanilla, Baking Soda, Salt, Icing Sugar

Kitchenware

You’ll also need:

• Measuring cups/spoons
• Mixing bowls & spoons
• 8×8 baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Food processor
• Oven

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Add the lemon juice to the milk and let it sit. It will form a buttermilk.
3. In a food processor, separately grind the pistachios and rolled oats. They should both form a crumbly, fine texture.
4. Add the dry ingredients (except for the white chocolate chips) into a bowl and stir to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until a slightly wet batter is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out.
8. Bake for ~30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the glaze by mixing together icing sugar, milk, and melted white chocolate chips. Chop the remaining pistachios separately.
9. Let the bars cool for ~5-10 min before topping them with the glaze and then the chopped pistachios.
10. Cut bars and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

• The bars may be a bit delicate right after baking and are most easy to work with after refrigeration.
• You can store these in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for months.

Recipe

Pistachio Barfi Bars

• Servings: 16
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Print

A nutritious take on a classic celebratory treat!

Ingredients

Bars
• 1 cup pistachios, ground
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup rolled oats, ground
• 1/2 cup almond flour, unsalted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Glaze/Topping
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
• 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Add lemon juice to milk and let sit.
3. In food processor, separately grind pistachios and rolled oats.
4. Add dry ingredients (except for chips) into bowl and stir to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients and stir to combine.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until batter formed. Stir in chips.
7. Pour batter into pan and smooth out.
8. Bake for ~30 min. In the meantime, prepare glaze by mixing together icing sugar, milk, and melted white chocolate chips. Chop pistachios separately.
9. Let bars cool for ~5-10 min before topping them with glaze then chopped pistachios.
10. Cut bars and enjoy!

Nutrition

Per Serving: Energy/Calories: 170 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 4.5 g | Fat: 10.5 g | Saturated Fat: 2.2 g | Sodium: 94 mg | Fibre: 2 g | Total Sugars: 11 g

Please note: the nutrition information provided above is an estimation based on a reference serving size. It is subject to error/variation and is for information purposes only. The website owner is not liable for this information. While this information may be helpful for you, please remember that food is more than just numbers.

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Disclaimer: All recipes on this site are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Results may vary depending on ingredients, equipment, and individual experience. Please use your best judgment and consider any allergies, dietary needs, or health conditions. The website owner is not responsible for any outcomes related to the preparation, cooking, or consumption of these recipes. Use this content at your own discretion and risk.