Ingredients
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2 cups rolled oats
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2 cups crispy rice cereal (see note below)
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1 cup dried apricot, chopped
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1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
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1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
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1/2 cup golden raisin
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1/4 cup sunflower seeds
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup corn syrup or 1/2 cup honey
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1/2 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Ingredient note: look in your health food aisle for a healthy alternative to Rice Krispies. The brand I found is made by Enviro-Kidz and uses BROWN rice.
- Prepare 9x13 pan with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper).
- In a large mixing bowl, toss all dry ingredients. Feel free to substitute your preferred nut or dried fruit.
- In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and allow to boil one minute. (Note: boiling the sugars is what helps the bars become firm and not sticky, so this step is important).
- After boiling, turn off heat; add vanilla and peanut butter. QUICKLY pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredients and toss to combine.
- Pour warm mixture into prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture down into the pan to compress the bars so they will slice evenly.
- When cool, use a sharp knife to cut into 18 bars (1 long lengthwise cut and 9 cuts across). Enjoy with a hot cup of Starbucks coffee for an authentic experience!
- Note: Starbucks does not list corn syrup in their ingredients, but the sweetener in their list is not readily available. I tried using Maple Syrup, but the bars were very crumbly and would not stay together in bars. Therefore, I found that Corn Syrup is the best ingredient that is readily available.