Oat and Grain Bars

I’m making homemade oat and grain bars today.  These bars are a delicious portable snack and very easy to pack in lunches. It took me a few tries to get the recipe right, the third was a charm! They came out super soft and chewy.

This recipe is very easy to make and does not require baking.  What I like the most about this recipe is that it can be easily  customized.   Most of the ingredients listed below can be replaced with anything else that you like or have in your pantry.  You can also add ingredients to the recipe. For example, rice cereal can be replaced by any other unsweetened puffed grain cereal or you can add your favorite nuts or seeds.

Yields 15 Bars

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cups mixed unsweetened crisped rice cereal
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup dried fruits ( I use raisins)
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups marshmallows

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add rice cereal, oats, dried fruits, and nuts, then mix very well until everything is mixed evenly.
2. In a small sauce pan add 3 tbsp butter, brown sugar, honey and stir well.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook for an additional 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla and mix until smooth.
5. Drizzle over rice cereal, dried fruits and nuts mixture and stir with a large rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated.
6. In a large pot, Add 1 tbsp butter and marshmallows and mix until melted.
7. Add the rice cereal mixture to the melted marshmallows and mix evenly
8. Scrape mixture into prepared dish (I use a baking pan 13″x 9″).
9. Press the mixture and compact down evenly
10. Set aside for at least one hour.
11. Cut into bars.
12. Enjoy!