Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars
These Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars are gluten-free, nut-free and naturally sweetened making them a great school snack for kids, or fun office treat for adults. Plus, with no baking required, you can whip them up in a pinch!
One of my favorite coffee shops in Ottawa used to make these seed bars that I was absolutely obsessed with. They were essentially just a combination of seeds and dried fruit mixed into a bar and were so addictively delicious. Although they no longer make them, I crave them all of the time, so I wanted to try my own version at home which is how I came up with these Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars! A bar this size made solely of seeds can end up being pretty high in calories (although I don’t count them), simply because seeds are such a rich source of healthy fats so their energy content can add up quickly. So instead of only using seeds, I decided to add a little puffed rice to keep them light while still providing a delicious crunch. Although Rice Krispies cereal is technically puffed rice, I don’t recommend using it because it contains a lot of unnecessary food additives including added sugar, corn and barley malt extract (another code word for sugar). Instead, simply look for 100% puffed rice in your cereal aisle which is easy to find and completely whole food.
These Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars are quick and easy to prepare and ready in under 10 minutes! Make them on the weekend and you’ll have grab and go snacks the whole family will love.
Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars
I used sunflower seed butter for these Chocolate Puffed Rice & Seed Bars to ensure they were nut-free, however, you could use peanut butter, almond butter or any type of nut butter you like!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 9 bars
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups puffed rice
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with two pieces of parchment paper from side to side, leaving the ends long so they stick out the sides. This will help to remove the bars from the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients; puffed rice, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and sea salt.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the wet ingredients; sunflower seed butter, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. If you have trouble stirring it, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it and help it come together.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and, using a spatula, stir until well incorporated. If it is not sticking together just add an extra dollop of seed butter and drizzle of honey.
- Pour mixture into baking dish and spread it out evenly with the spatula.
- In a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water or double boiler, heat and melt dark chocolate. (You can use a microwave if needed, just heat it in 30-second intervals until melted to ensure it does not burn.)
- Pour melted chocolate into the baking dish to cover the bars, spreading it out evenly. Add a sprinkle of sea salt on top to taste.
- Transfer to the fridge for about 1 hour until chocolate has solidified, then remove from fridge and cut into 9 even squares.
- The bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several months.
- Enjoy!
