This is the recipe I used to make for your Dad (and you guys for snacks) ALL THE TIME. I varied the ingredients, based on what we had in the pantry.
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Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups of crispy brown rice cereal
- substitutions: Rice Krispies, any other last bits of cereal you have in the pantry
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 3-6 cups dried fruit (I tend towards to lower end but the original recipe calls for 6 cups)
- options: chopped dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries
- options: I would often add up to 3 cups of nuts/seeds
- 1 cup protein powder (I usually used vanilla)
- 1 cup toasted wheat germ
- 2 cups brown rice syrup (one 16oz jar)
- substitutions: agave or light corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 3 t vanilla extract
- 1 t cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Spread oats, cereal, and sesame seed (also wheat germ if you don't buy toasted) in a 13x9 pan.
- Bake, stirring occasionally, until oats are toasted, about 15 minutes
- Chop apricots, transfer to large bowl (I used my stand mixer). Add other dried fruit, protein powder, and wheat germ (if not toasting). Toss to mix.
- Add toasted oat/cereal mixture and mix.
- Grease 13x9 pan.
- In heavy saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring rice syrup to boil.
- Reduce heat to low, stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Quickly pour syrup mixture into oat mixture and stir well. (the stand mixer makes this SO much easier but can be done by hand)
- Immediately spread into 13x9 pan and press until level. Work fast!
- Allow to chill until firm (on counter or in fridge)
- Cut into bars of your size choice. Wrap in plastic wrap or use snack sized ziplock bags.
- Can be refrigerated for up to four weeks or frozen for longer..