Oaty Cereal Bars

Hard to believe it's half way through the week again and that Thursday is nearly upon us! Looking forward to some Valentines festivities tomorrow and enjoying a nice meal out with the lovely Molly. This evenings post is a little something I have been working on and perfecting over the last few nights. I am finding 11.00am in work a tricky time the last couple of weeks as I just feel absolutely ravenous and end up eating half my lunch as I tend to be so ill prepared! Molly requested my assistance in the kitchen at the weekend in order to make some home-made protein bars for him to snack on before gym time, which got me to thinking....cereal bars! The perfect mid morning snack. Unfortunately as I have a severe nut allergy, my choices in the cereal, oat and granola bar department are limited to non-existent! Not to mention the hefty price tag that often accompanies 'healthy' 'natural' and 'organic' bars. Making your own cereal bars is a really cost effective not to mention delicious idea. Thrifty but tasty is always a winner! Though these bars are a made using a nut free recipe, feel free to add your own bits and pieces. These bars can be made the weekend and will last all week if kept in an airtight container!

Home-Made Oaty Cereal Bars

Ingredients

180g oats

40g rice krispies

80g sunflower seeds

40g brown sugar

100g honey

40g of coconut oil (alternativey butter can be used).

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

30g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or more)

20g of dried cranberries (optional)

Method

1. Place the oats, rice krispies and chopped dark chocolate into a bowl and set aside. If you 

    have dried cranberries these can also be added.

2. In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil, sugar and honey. Once melted allow to boil gently 

    for two minutes, it will be bubbling at this point

3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well until all of the dry 

    ingredients are well coated.

4. Line an 8 x 6 inch dish with parchment paper, and grease lightly. Place the mixture in the dish 

    and press down gently so the mixture is well compacted.

5. Place in the fridge for 45 minutes before cutting into bars and placing in an air tight 

    container.

E-D's Notes

- Dried cranberries can be quite sweet, so small amounts really will go a long way.

- Though I used sunflower seeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds would also do the trick.

- I picked up the cute cupcake bakery bags in Dealz, a pack of 8 for €1.49, perfect for giving 

  away your baked treats as gifts, or just to brighten up your lunch box!