Chocolate Peanut Butter Treat Bars // Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Caffeine Free

Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Treat Bars

I'm a snacker.  Around 2pm I start raiding the pantry for a tasty treat to nibble on.  Yes, I know I should grab a banana or an apple or some carrot sticks.  But, I still have the mentality of a 7 year old most of the time and "I don't wanna!  Nah nah nah!"  I want something sweet and savory, crunchy and filling to eat.  So I feel like I'm making a healthy compromise between nature's whole foods and a Snickers bar with these chocolate peanut butter bars.  Plus they are so handy dandy to throw in your purse or diaper bag for an energy boosting fix.  With ground flax seed, chopped nuts, puffed rice and no refined sugar, they are healthy enough to pass as an energy bar.  But, the raw honey and peanut butter and carob chips will satisfy those inevitable sweet cravings.  Make some up today and put them in your children's lunches or stash a few in your desk and keep the evil candy bars at bay.

Yield:  Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 3 cups puffed rice cereal (brown or white rice)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts (or any nut of your choice)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (use a coffee grinder to grind the seeds)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 2 tbsp carob powder
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I prefer Sunspire Peanut Butter Chips)
• 1/2 cup carob chips (I prefer Chatfield's Carob Chips)

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the rice cereal, chopped nuts and ground flax seed and set aside.  In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, honey and carob powder until they form a smooth sauce.  Pour over the dry ingredients and combine until the dry ingredients are well coated.  Add the peanut and carob chips and toss to combine.  Pour into a 8 x 11 1/2 inch pan and use a piece of wax or parchment paper to press the mixture into the dish.  Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerator for an hour.  Cut into 1 1/2 x 4 inch bars and store in a air tight container in a cool place or in the refrigerator.