Recipe for Quinoa Cereal Bars – Very Nutritious

Why buy cereal bars from the grocery store when you can make your own? Quinoa cereal bars are nice on the go snacks to provide the fuel needed and keep you feeling full longer. They have such deep almost molasses-like sweetness that isn’t overpowering and that sweetness pairs extremely well with the nuttiness of quinoa. Add oats, flax, and chia to the mix along with peanut butter and you have no-bake bars that you will never want to run out of.

Makes about 12 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup peanut or almond butter
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (use any kind you like)
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup honey or real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Add the quinoa to the baking sheet along with the oats, nuts, flaxseed meal, and chia seeds.
4. Toss to combine and spread in an even layer.
5. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until toasted.
6. Line an 8 by an 11-inch baking dish with plastic and lightly grease with vegetable oil.
7. Add the honey/maple syrup with the peanut butter or almond butter to a saucepan.
8. Melt over medium heat while stirring until smooth. Do not bring to a full boil.
9. Transfer the toasted quinoa mixture to a large bowl.
10. Pour the melted peanut/almond butter, mix over the toasted quinoa.
11. Use a spatula to mix everything together until well coated. The melted mixture will give the bars their shape.
12. Cool the mixture slightly before spreading in the baking dish in an even layer.
13. Press firmly into the baking dish.
14. Cover with plastic wrap.
15. Chill for two hours or overnight before cutting into bars.