Last summer, I wrote how to make your own “Full Bars,” a copycat recipe of the expensive but popular pre-packaged bar. I think it’s ironic that something made with such simple ingredients can be so expensive when it’s pre-packaged..
Fast forward to a few weekends ago and 2Chili asked for a snack bar that would be filling and tasty for long bike rides. That initial Full Bar copycat was the foundation for this bar, which is all kinds of tasty and so easy to make. They’re a little more diverse than those original Full Bar copycats, as these serve a slightly different purpose but will actually have a similar effect – they fill you up!
You can use this recipe as a foundation and swap in things you like, or even add to it. Just remember to add more peanut butter and/or brown rice syrup if you add a lot of dry ingredients – you will need them as the binder. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t use honey as a substitute for the brown rice syrup. It would taste good but doesn’t provide enough stickiness to hold the bars together.
Peanut Butter Puffed Rice Bars
Makes 9 squares
- 4 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds (or any seeds you like)
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
Method:
- Spray an 8×8 sheet pan and set aside
- In a large bowl, combine puffed rice, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds
- In a medium sauce pan, combine peanut butter, and brown rice syrup and warm over low/medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly
- Pour melted mixture over the puffed rice cereal and combine (quickly)
- Pour coated cereal into pan and press firmly to smooth out into an even consistency
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars (you do not have to store them in the refrigerator)
Nutrition
Based on 9 total bars – you could make smaller bars and make them more like little snacks!
View Comments (4)
oh these look really good, I’ve been dying to make my own “bars” for a quick snack. Good to know about the rice syrup vs honey. I didn’t realize there was a difference in stickiness.
Do you think maple syrup is the same as honey, or would it work? I don’t know that I’d be able to swing any new sweeteners with my strict budget constraints this month. hahahahaa – I’m so mean to myself! But seriously, I have honey, sucanat and maple syrup in the house, I really don’t need any more sweeteners.
Hi Debbie,
That is a great question. I think maple syrup would work, but am not totally sure. Whenever I need something to really hold together, I go with the organic rice syrup and it works every time. Though, I did try this first with honey and that definitely did not work! They were tasty but a crumbled mess that I ended up eating with a spoon.
These bars are interesting because I put things in them 2Chili “doesn’t like” and he doesn’t even know it. I made these Sunday and there is only one left, and I didn’t eat them all. HA!
haha, I will have to add a few things DH doesn’t like too. hmm, how do you think mushrooms would work into those bars? hahaa
anyway, maybe I’ll try maple syrup. Worst happens, we throw it into yogurt like granola, right? LOL
HAHA! I should find out — 2Chili is NOT a fan of mushrooms. Worst case, if the maple syrup doesn’t work, you can definitely throw it on top of yogurt like granola. Please come back and tell me if it does work, though!