Very Berry Cereal Bars

Cereal bars make great on-the-go breakfasts or snacks. Unfortunately commercial cereal bars are less than healthy...in fact the leading brand has over 40 ingredients*! My easy recipe has 4 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. I like to wrap them in parchment paper to make them easy to grab when I'm in a hurry. They taste great with a chewy and fruity sweetness.  

Very Berry Cereal Bars

Ingredients:

4 cups "O shaped" Cereal (I use Nature's Path)

1/2 cup Almond Butter

1/2 cup Brown Rice Syrup (found in the baking aisle)

1 cup Freeze-Dried Berries (we use Strawberries and Raspberries)

Grind the dried fruit into a powder in a food processor or add to a zippered bag and crush with a rolling pin. Place the almond butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm for 2 minutes, whisking until it becomes smooth and combined (or microwave in a glass dish for 30 seconds).
 Add the cereal to a large bowl. Pour the warm almond butter mixture and fold the mixture in, making sure all the cereal is well coated. Add the dried fruit powder and fold again till evenly combined. Add the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch parchment lined pan, pressing very firmly. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container. Makes a wonderful breakfast or snack!

*Honey Nut Cheerio Milk N' Cereal Bar Ingredients: Milk Filling [Sugar, Lactose, Palm Kernel Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Nonfat Milk, Distilled Monoglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Freshness Preserved By Tbhq and Citric Acid] Corn Syrup, Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Isolated Soy Protein, Glycerin, Tricalcium Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Sorbitol, Almonds, Caramel and Annatto Extract Color, Mono and Diglycerides, Gelatin, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), Iron and Zinc (Mineral Nutrients), Honey, Salt, Vitamin A (Palmitate), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Natural & Artificial Flavor, Vitamin B12, Sunflower Meal, Peanut Flour. Freshness Preserved By Bht. Cereal [Crisp Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, Rice Extract), Whole Grain Oats (Includes the Oat Bran), Soy Flour, Sugar, Corn Meal, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Trisodium Phosphate, Dextrose, Zinc and Iron (Mineral Nutrients), Artificial Flavor, A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Wheat Flour, Almond Meal. Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness]