Eatmores
OK. This has nothing to do with dinner, and I didn’t even make them today. I was going to take advantage of it no longer being 2008 and skip a post, holding off on any renegade thoughts for Friday, but all this enthusiasm over the prospect of Eatmores reminded me that I actually do have a recipe for these chewy, chocolatey energy bars (for lack of a better word – energy really refers to calories, but I can’t call these granola bars, nor really cookies or squares) – these are no-bake cereal bars held together with a chocolate and peanut butter goo that closely resembles our beloved Eatmores. More so than the previous peanut truffle fudge recipe, which is soft and chocolatey without the requisite chew (“a good chew – and peanuts too“) of an Eatmore.
So here’s a Free Stuff Friday Eve freebie for all. If you wanted to, you could eliminate the dried fruits and grains and everything else, leaving only the peanuts, and boosting their quantities. (Of course because these are relatively good for you, you can Eat More of them.)
I really adore these. They are perfectly portable too – ideal for wrapping individually and tossing in your bag to take with you wherever you need to go.
Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
3 cups Rice Krispies or Special K cereal
1 cup oats
1 cup chopped dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries & apricots)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup light peanut butter
1/2 cup honeyIn a large bowl, toss together the cereal, oats, dried fruit, peanuts and flax seed.
In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, cocoa, peanut butter and honey over medium heat and stir until completely melted and smooth. (Alternatively, you could do this in the microwave.) Pour over the fruit and cereal mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Press into a 9” x 13” pan and chill until firm before cutting into bars. Makes 18 bars.
Per Bar: 173 calories, 5.1 g fat (0.9 g saturated fat, 2.3 g monounsaturated fat, 1.6 g polyunsaturated fat), 31.3 g carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.1 g protein, 2.6 g fiber. 25% calories from fat
Print Post
February 05 2009 07:58 pm | leftovers
rose on 05 Feb 2009 at 8:37 pm #
Looks fabulous Julie! On the whole I’m not a baker but I do continue to do your burnt butter cake. Will not be making the peanut butter bars or any other sweet treats as I really do find it hard to stop! Love checking your blog every day! Will be doing the salmon sticks soon.
Rose
Cheryl on 05 Feb 2009 at 9:14 pm #
You’re killing me with all this peanut butter and chocolate!
I’ve definitely stemmed my chocolate chip consumption and today was my first treat… If only I could stay healthy and keep my kids healthy, I just might get a workout in. Scale is slowly crawling down…
pips on 05 Feb 2009 at 9:20 pm #
I am making these tomorrow! My son will not touch any kind of dried fruit so I will make the all peanut version (but keep the flax!) and will substitute one cup of All Bran buds into the cereal mixture for even more fibre. I am assuuming you use large flake oats?
Erica B. on 05 Feb 2009 at 9:32 pm #
omg had I not just made your granola bars and a pumpkin loaf I’d be making these in a heartbeat! Thanks for posting. I hope shooting is going well.
I’m up for Book Club the week of the 23rd just say when, and tell me what I can bring
JulieVR on 05 Feb 2009 at 9:35 pm #
You can use large flake or quick-cooking oats – the only difference is texture. Or try barley flakes – which look like oats but are higher in fiber. Love the bran buds idea!
Lori C. on 05 Feb 2009 at 10:32 pm #
Looks delish – will be making these this weekend! Yum.
Manon from Ontario on 06 Feb 2009 at 4:23 am #
Ok you are killing me, if I make these, I will be picking at them all the time, I will have no control over myself in the kitchen, they look way too good and easy enough to make!
I decided yesterday morning to re-join WW on line, and even managed to workout to my danse yourself thin dvd, a whole 45 min of sweating, yes!
I feel like a truck ran over me overnight, but I do plan to go for a walk tonight while my boys go to karate.
Hows your days going Julie?
Enjoy the weekend.
MFO
ladyloo on 06 Feb 2009 at 5:43 am #
Healthy chocolate?! Count me in.
Jen T on 06 Feb 2009 at 6:31 am #
These look familiarly similar to your power balls.
Of course I will try them though –can’t say no to eatmore bars!
Sherry on 06 Feb 2009 at 6:49 am #
I’m going to make these and add some protein powder and maybe hemp hearts instead of flax. Have you tried hemp hearts? They are quite tasty. Have a good weekeend.
Kathy on 06 Feb 2009 at 7:38 am #
They look absolutely delicious. I’d probably find a way to sneak some chocolate chips into them as well (maybe less dried fruit – 1/2 dried fruit, l/2 chocolate chips). Of course they wouldn’t be as healthy then.
I’ll be able to think about Book Club after the end of February. Right now I’m out three nights during the week week with a course, my writer’s critique group, and social events and appointments.
Melanie on 06 Feb 2009 at 8:41 am #
Those look lovely. Can’t wait to make them!
Barb on 06 Feb 2009 at 8:48 am #
I’m going to put the recipe into my file for future reference. Don’t trust my control level right now.
Nancy G on 06 Feb 2009 at 5:20 pm #
Wow Julie! You are very impressive! Not only do you have a recipe for an Eatmore like treat, it is likely a healthier version! Thanks for posting that recipe. I will try them this weekend for sure!
We make these little energy balls with similar ingredients–nut butter and honey and seeds and carob powder and you mix it all up in the food processor and roll into little balls and try to refrigerate some before you eat them all. Yours sound chewier–more Eatmore like!
DJ on 06 Feb 2009 at 7:26 pm #
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm definitely will make these and will Eat More than I should I’m sure! Thanks for the recipe. Am still trying to find out how I can catch your show here in Edmonton.
Erica B. on 06 Feb 2009 at 8:37 pm #
DJ: “It’s Just Food” season 3 is being carried on the Viva network, which is shaw channel 159. It looks like it’s on again Sunday at 12:30pm. http://www.myviva.ca/schedule.aspx
Hope that helps
Erica B. on 06 Feb 2009 at 8:43 pm #
OOPS! *blush* I just double checked and the website has it at 10:30am not 12:30pm…OOPS just when I posted the first time I didn’t notice when I navigated back to the schedule it reverted to Eastern instead of Mountain. So next show is Sunday 10:30amMT/12:30pm EST (apparently I’m more tired than I realized sorry!)
Donna on 06 Feb 2009 at 9:28 pm #
For those of us with basic cable, we can’t get shaw 159.
Maybe it is my old tv set.
is there any way to watch on line?
JulieVR on 06 Feb 2009 at 9:50 pm #
I’m so flattered that you’re all so interested!
Not as far as I know, but I’m not that internet savvy when it comes to watching TV shows. It has been on Access/CLT (Canadian Learning Television), which is a different channel depending on where you are. It’s now Viva, which is owned by Corus, and that’s about the extent of my knowledge about it. I’ll see if I can find out!
Christina on 07 Feb 2009 at 12:14 am #
I tried making these and they did not come together. Could this be because I used natural peanut butter? Regardless it’s delicious, just more like chunks and trail mix than a square.
Manon from Ontario on 07 Feb 2009 at 5:37 am #
Well if this can help, I watch it here in Ontario on Starchoice on channel 507 = Viva.
You can do a search in google for viva channel and see.
Good luck gang
MFO
Nancy G on 07 Feb 2009 at 2:57 pm #
Well…the Eatmore bars were an absolute hit! My sister made them this afternoon while the kids got together to play and we are quickly making our way through the pan!
Marcie on 07 Feb 2009 at 7:00 pm #
Have started a collection of JulieVR recipes to add to my collection. All are great! Hope you have sorted out your Mac problems – really is terrific – like you. Keep ‘em coming…..
Thanks.
angela on 08 Feb 2009 at 11:55 am #
these didn’t come together for me either. not enough sticky mixture? more honey? i only used 1.5 cups of the cereal, but still too dry.
Nancy G on 08 Feb 2009 at 6:47 pm #
Angela,
Not sure if it’s helpful, but when we made these on the weekend, we chopped the dried fruit up in a mini chopper quite small and I think it helped with the stick togetherness of the bars.
Olivia on 25 Feb 2009 at 2:08 pm #
These look like one of these healthy snacks that you don’t feel bad about eating. I love peanut butter and rice krispies, but I have some leftover flaxseed so I just might make these.