Back-to-School Snacks: No-Bake Crispy Raisin Nut Bars

These No-Bake Crispy Raisin Nut Bars are sweetened with raisins and honey, packed with protein and fiber, and so much tastier than those store-bought varieties. Sponsored by Sun-Maid Raisins.

Poof! Just like that, summer vacation came and went. It always goes by fast for me, even during those dull days when we stay home with nothing on the agenda except that Mommy has to get some work done. The Professor is now a sophomore in high school. That inevitable dark cloud of his leaving me is getting closer. So I will relish these back-t0-school moments while I have them. I have been warned, they go by fast, as well.

It was only a few weeks ago I was teaching my daughter and her friends how to cooking during my one week cooking camp. I have share with you some of the recipes they made, new and old. One of the girls had taken another cooking camp before mine and she hated it. The food they made was “bad” and “gross.” Would my camp be like it?

I just came back from a weekend camping trip with the Boy Scouts and this girl and her family were there. They are good friends of ours and we quickly started catching up with how summer ended and what the first week of school was like. My young friend’s mother eagerly told me how much her daughter loved my camp and all the delicious food we made together. She had already made the fried rice at home twice and was looking forward to cooking more recipes from camp.

The one point that this mom made was that I offered real meals that could easily be made at home. I was beaming all weekend, honestly. Kids really do enjoy good food, real food with real wholesome ingredients. Mission accomplished.

One of my sponsors of my kids cooking camp was Sun-Maid Raisins. Naturally sweet and packed with fiber, raisins are super kid-friendly. In Middle Eastern cooking, we use raisins in everything: as a snack, in our hot meals, garnishing soups and yogurt dishes. But today I’m sharing a back-to-school snack that is similar to those crispy rice bars you can buy in the store. Except these beauties are sweetened with raisins and honey instead of corn syrup.

Packed with seeds and nuts and a touch of chocolate, these No-Bake Crispy Raisin Nut Bars make a great after school snack, breakfast on the go, or can be packed up with the school lunch box. And they are easy to put together – even your kids could do it!

No-Bake Crispy Raisin Nut Bars

Author:

Laura Bashar

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Sun-Maid raisins
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup almond slices
• 2 TBS roasted pepitas
• 2 TBS sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chocolate candies

Directions:

1. In a food processor with with a sharp blade, blend together until a ball is formed:
• 8 oz Sun-Maid raisins
• 1/4 cup honey
2. Transfer raisin ball into a bowl and mash it down with a fork, mixing in:
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
3. Place bowl in a microwave and heat on high for 20-30 seconds to soften.
4. Stir in until combined:
• 1/4 cup almond slices
• 2 TBS roasted pepitas
• 2 TBS sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
5. Gently stir in:
• 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chocolate candies
6. Coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Press raisin mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
7. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
8. Cut into even pieces and serve.

Notes:

You can also use walnuts, cashews, dried apricots and green raisins. Instead of peanut butter you can use cashew or almond butter. If using chocolate candies, add them to the very end and stir carefully, so you don’t crack the candy shell.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Yield: 6-8 bars

Cook Time: 0 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

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Disclosure: I was paid a stipend to develop a kid-friendly recipe using Sun-Maid Raisins. The opinions I expressed in this post are 100% all mine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it.