Cereal bars seem to be big news. I don’t buy them (it’s rare to find a nut and dairy-free cereal bar) and don’t often venture down the ‘bar’ aisle of the supermarket. I happened to wander down it the other day and was utterly overwhelmed by the amount and variety of bars on offer. They really must be a ‘thing’ for lots of people.
I certainly get the point – a mid-morning snack with a healthy vibe (whether that is true or not is another matter!) must be a good idea. It stuck me that maybe we needed a friendly cereal bar in our lives, one to act as breakfast on the hoof or as an interesting addition to these daily triple packed lunches I seem to be making.
This recipe took a while to evolve, but the wait was worth it, these bars are seriously good. I’ve been eating them all week, and I’m not a cereal bar eater! They combine granola (homemade in this case) for flavour and texture with rice crispies for crunch. This is enrobed in a delicious mix of sugar, syrup and biscoff spread. Nut or seed butter would work wonderfully and give a ‘nutty’ undertone if you can tolerate it. Don’t worry if you don’t have safe granola just sub for oats (ideally toasted) and a handful of dried/freeze-dried fruit of choice. There must be some shop bought dairy-free and nut-free granola available, but I’ve not come across it. Do let me know of any recommendations.
I definitely recommend the chocolate drizzle – not only does it look nice but it also gives a touch of luxury. Besides, chocolate is always a good addition!
Brunch Cereal Bars
(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, can be soya-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes 6 large bars
100g granola
25g rice krispies
60g caster sugar
90g golden or maple syrup, or use honey
50g Biscoff spread (or nut/seed/wow butter of choice)
20g dark dairy-free chocolate
- Melt together the sugar, syrup and biscoff spread until you have a thick smooth mixture
- Stir in the granola and rice krispies and stir until everything is coated in the rich caramel sauce
- Press into a baking tin lined with parchment. I used a 2lb loaf tin which is perfect for the amount quoted about. If you want to make more, double the quantities and use a standard square baking tin.
- Place in the fridge or a cool place to set.
- Melt the chocolate and drizzle over, leave to set.
- Cut into 6 bars.
