Chewy Dried Cherry, Honey, and Brown Rice Snack Bars

It has been way too long since I posted some yummy allergy friendly fare! I have been experimenting with some different types of granola bars without too much success. My four-year-old has very discriminating tastes;-) I was really excited to see the recipe for these bars over at Savoring the Thyme. They looked similar to a packaged snack bar that we frequently buy and love. However, if you or your children have food allergies you know that buying allergy- friendly packaged snack foods can be a costly proposition. Plus, I much prefer to make foods from scratch if at all possible. This recipe is a keeper for us. My son loved them though he was not a fan of the dried cherries. I thought the cherries were great but he is a little particular when it comes to dried fruits. I told him that we would try them with chocolate chips next time. You could also make these with any kind of nut butter if that is not an allergy concern. Overall, I thought these were fantastic. Simple to make and very adaptable. I hope your family enjoys them!

Chewy Dried Cherry, Honey, and Brown Rice Snack Bars

• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup creamy sunflower seed butter (such as Sunbutter)
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal*
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ¼ cup dried cherries, finely chopped

Combine the sunflower seed butter and honey in a small bowl, mix well and then microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. If the mixture is not melted, repeat for another 20 seconds.

Add the rice cereal to the sunflower seed butter honey mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the cranberries and oats and gently mix.

Press the mixture into a small pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment. Spread the mixture evenly and then place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 – 40 minutes.

Cut and serve! Store in the refrigerator.

*We recently purchased this brown rice cereal from Amazon and we’re very happy with it. It’s also quite economical if you use subscribe and save! We also purchase Sunbutter through Amazon using subscribe and save and it is much less expensive than purchasing it at a natural foods store. By the way, I am in no way affiliated with Amazon;-) I just wanted to share what works for us!