All-Star Bars

summer snacks just got way easier

Hey Broiler Heads. I loved all the feedback on the summer rolls last week and thought, “why not make this a series?” So here we go. For the next couple of weeks we’re gonna focus on handheld foods and grab-and-go snacks. Whether you’re out for a picnic, taking a road trip, or just carting your kids or partner between various activities, this series will have something for everyone. First up: cereal bars.

I grew up in the heyday of granola bars and even put a recipe for one in our first book. But granola bars can be fussy, require an oven, and are generally a bit of a time commitment. Cereal bars are way easier. You only need a microwave and they require just 5 minutes of active work. They’re so easy that your kids can make them on Monday and eat them for an afternoon snack or as their road breakfast all week long. The only unusual ingredient in these guys is brown rice syrup but you should be able to find it near the molasses or other liquid sweeteners in a well-stocked grocery store. It’s a liquid sweetener made from-you guessed it- brown rice and isn’t as sweet as agave or honey. I like it in bars because it helps hold everything together without being cloyingly sweet. I hate breakfast bars that taste more like a dessert than a snack.

Whenever l make these, I look for cereals that don’t have a lot of added sweetness to help keep those sugars in check. For an 8x8 tray, you need 3 cups of cereal, but this recipe is easy to double to fill in a 9x13 pan if you want a larger batch. Lately I’ve liked the mix to be 1 cup of a multigrain flakes, 1 cup of a puffed single grain like millet, kamut, or rice, and 1 cup of an o’s cereal like an off-brand, hippy Cheerios. You can mix and match with your preferences, folding in nuts or dried fruit as desired. Just keep the 3 cups of dry ingredients as your guide. In addition to the brown rice syrup, these are held together with a nut or seed butter which provides some added protein. I’ve used peanut butter, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter with great success so whatever you’ve got is fine. The 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed is there as a nutritional mortar but you could sub in your best tasting protein powder for a similar result. I’ve included two versions of the recipe, the standard mix and a jazzed up one so y’all get an idea of how to experiment with this on your own. Got a great flavor mix? Share it with us in our subscribers-only chat or drop it in the comments. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!

easy as hell

No-Bake Cereal Bars

Makes one 8x8 tray, or about 8 standard bars

3 cups of dried cereal, a mix between flakes, puffs and 0’s

½ cup nut or seed butter like almond or peanut butter

½ cup brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds or protein powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Pour your 3 cups of cereal into a large bowl. We’ll get back to that in a second.

In a large measuring glass, add the nut butter and brown rice syrup together. Stick this in the microwave for 30 seconds then try to stir them together. If they haven’t warmed up enough to mix, microwave them for another 30 seconds until they’re easy to stir. They just have to be warm, not hot. Once those sticky fuckers are all mixed up, stir the ground flaxseeds and vanilla extract. Now pour all of this over the cereal and mix until all the pieces are covered and there aren’t any dry patches.

Dump this into your prepared pan and using another sheet of parchment paper press all of the cereal down firmly into an even layer. The more you pack this in, the sturdier the bars will be so don’t be scared. Sprinkle some extra cereal pieces on top for looks if you’re into that sort of thing and press them in. Once that’s all done let them cool in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes or an hour in a cool spot in your house. When they’re set, take them out of the tray and cut them into bars of whatever size you like. Store them in the fridge or a cool spot in your pantry and they’ll last you about a week.

Strawberry Cream Cereal Bars

Makes one 8x8 tray, or about 8 standard bars

2 ½  cups of dried cereal, a mix between flakes, puffs and strawberry 0’s

¼ cup broken up pieces of freeze-dried strawberries

¼ cup crispy puffed quinoa

½ cup nut or seed butter like cashew, tahini, or almond butter

½ cup brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Pour your 2 1/2 cups of cereal,¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries, and  ½ cup crispy puffed quinoa into a large bowl. We’ll get back to that in a second.

In a large measuring glass, add the nut butter and brown rice syrup together. Stick this in the microwave for 30 seconds then try to stir them together. If they haven’t warmed up enough to mix, microwave them for another 30 seconds until they’re easy to stir. They just have to be warm, not hot. Once those sticky fuckers are all mixed up, stir the ground flaxseeds and vanilla extract. Now pour all of this over the cereal and mix until all the pieces are covered and there aren’t any dry patches.

Dump this into your prepared pan and using another sheet of parchment paper press all of the cereal down firmly into an even layer. The more you pack this in, the sturdier the bars will be so don’t be scared. Sprinkle some extra strawberry pieces and quinoa on top for looks if you’re into that sort of thing and press them in. Once that’s all done let them cool in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes or an hour in a cool spot in your house. When they’re set, take them out of the tray and cut them into bars of whatever size you like. Store them in the fridge or a cool spot in your pantry and they’ll last you about a week.

No Bake Cereal Bars Two Ways

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Thanks for joining us here in The Broiler Room each week. What summer fruit is perfectly delicious where you guys are? So far watermelons have been a huge disappointment in LA but our strawberries are kicking ass as usual. Let us know in the comments!