Ingredients
¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts
¼ cup chia seeds
1½ cups rolled oats
1½ cups crisp rice cereal
½ cup dates
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°F. On a foil-lined cookie sheet, toast chia seeds, peanuts, and rolled oats for about 12 minutes. After toasting, add chia seed mixture to cereal in a large mixing bowl. Hand-chop or pulse dates in a food processor and add to rice cereal/chia seed mixture. In a small pot, combine molasses, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat pot on low heat and stir until smooth (about 5 minutes). Combine the wet and dry ingredients with rubber spatula and press into a foil-lined, 8×8 baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. If using chocolate chips, bake for 5 minutes. Remove pan, sprinkle chips evenly across top and bake for additional 5 minutes. Smooth chocolate on top and refrigerate or let set to cool. Cut into 9 even power bars, serve. Makes: 9 servings.
Recipe created by Mark Nanna, Executive Chef, The Lawrence
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 185
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Protein: 5 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sodium: 28 mg