Back in the day, I did buy pre-packaged granola bars. The ones that we were told were “good for you”. The more I got into making homemade everything, the more I realized that most things in a package, bottle, or can contain lots of ingredients that are not only manufactured but one’s that I cannot pronounce.
As of last week, packing lunches has become part of my morning routine. Always a protein, some sort of veggie, a fruit, rice crackers or nuts, water, and if I have it on hand, a little sweet treat. Cutting out gluten is not as challenging as one would assume. It’s more the sweet treat that’s a challenge. I don’t have a” cookie jar” filled with the latest and greatest. Instead, I bake off frozen cookie dough, 8 or 10 at a time, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for leftovers. However, it was more the “granola” type bar that my kids were missing.
After several attempts at a no bake “granola” bar, I was frustrated with them not staying in one piece. Although they tasted good, they fell apart in my kids hands, making them the perfect topping for homemade ice cream. However, I wasn’t looking for toppings. I wanted a bar that I could put in their lunch for snack time. After the first batch, I pulled out my silicone muffin cups and voila, something magical happened.
The birth of the “Snap Crackle Pop” snack bites. Eli’s first comment was, “mom, these should be in grocery stores across the country”. He felt they were worthy enough to sell. I have been cleansing for the past 10 days, but that didn’t stop me from taking one little, tiny bite. I would have to agree with Eli, they are worthy enough to make again, and again, and again!
Snap Crackle Pop Snack Bites
yield: 48 small bites
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 3/4 ounces | 77 grams | 1/3 cup muscovado sugar
2 ounces | 56 grams | 1/4 cup raw honey
3 ounces | 84 grams | 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw almond butter (divided)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3 3/4 ounces | 106 grams | 1 cup gluten free rolled quick oats ( I use Bob’s Red Mill)
3 1/2 ounces | 100 grams | 2 cups gluten free brown rice puffed cereal
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 1/2 ounces | 42 grams | 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped fine and toasted
2 ounces | 57 grams | 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
In large, glass bowl, combine the rolled oats, puffed brown rice cereal, flax seeds, macadamia nuts, and 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Set aside.
Combine butter, muscovado sugar, raw honey, and 1/4 cup of almond butter in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and melt to combine. Stirring constantly, bring to a slight boil. Let boil for a few minutes, stirring the whole time to avoid the sugar from burning.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla paste and Celtic sea salt. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Pour almond butter mixture over dry ingredients. mix to combine. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of almond butter, mix well. When you add the hot ingredients, it will melt the chocolate slightly creating an ooey gooey mix. Combine well and add additional 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Place a little more than 1 tablespoon of mixture into mini silicone muffin cups. Repeat unitl all batter is used up. Place in fridge for an hour. When set, pop out of molds and store in an airtight container for 3 days.
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.