Crunchy keto granola bars where tagatose adds both sweetness and binding — so they hold together with fewer ingredients.
Mix the dry ingredients — protein puffs, pumpkin seeds, almonds and shredded coconut — and cook for 10 minutes at 325°F.
Separately, make a syrup: combine the tagatose, coconut oil, water and salt, and dissolve over moderate heat, mixing well.
Mix the cooled syrup with the dry ingredients and compress into a mould/tray to remove air pockets.
Bake for 14–16 minutes at 300°F.
Package once cooled.
Why tagatose works here: it browns like sucrose and provides binding (erythritol does not — those bars needed added glycerol to hold form). In tasting, the tagatose bars were preferred over erythritol bars for sweetness, texture and overall (about 2 to 1).
Formulation by ASR Group (Domino Foods). Source: ASR Group internal testing, 2024.