Millet Oat Breakfast Bars

Looking for an easy-to-pack snack that you can make at home and send with kids to school next week? Or possibly an easy snack to take to work on a busy day? Here is something so easy I came up with this week with some leftover ingredients in the kitchen. I had a large bag of puffed millet cereal for some reason and it wasn't going anywhere fast. So I had to find a way to use it up and make it tasty, so why not a little treat. I guess that is why I call these breakfast bars...because of the cereal ingredients, but really, this could be for a snack, a treat, or whatever. And, you could make this with a variety of puffed cereals, not just millet. That is my little schpeal on how these little babies came into existence. Not to mention... In 92 degree weather the past 3 days... who wants to turn on the oven. Not me! These bars can be created with a few stove-top minutes and then viola you have a refrigerated treat. Maybe I will just get to the recipe so you can enjoy it yourself...:)

Millet Oat Breakfast Bar Recipe

In a small saucepan, warm up the following ingredients on medium heat...

3 TB of raw honey or agave nectar

3 TB of sucanat or other powdered sweetener

1 TB of coconut oil

1/4 cup of So Delicious coconut milk beverage

1 ts. of pure vanilla

1/2 cup of almond butter

2 heaping TB's of 100% cacao powder ( or baking cocoa)

Let all those ingredients get warm together and mix well for just about 2-3 minutes. Then pour the warm mixture into a mixing bowl with the following ingredients...

1/4 cup of flax meal (grind whole flax seeds in your coffee grinder if need be)

1 cup of Bob's red Mill gluten-free rolled or cooking oats

1 cup of millet puffed cereal (or other gluten-free puff cereal like rice, or flax)

1/3 cup of raw sunflower seeds

1/2 ts. of sea salt

Mix all of the "wet" and dry ingredients well together with a spoon ( or with your hands :) and then pour into an 8x8 pan, either glass or tin. Then press with the back of a spoon or spatula all of the mix till it is hard in the pan. Then put in the fridge for as long as you like, but at least for 30 minutes before cutting into little squares. You can get about 9-12 squares from this pan size. If you want to do a 9x13 pan you will have to double or at the least play with the measurements. After you cut the squares you will want to either keep them in the fridge if it is warm outside and in your kitchen to stay well intact, or possibly on the counter will be fine as well.

They are a perfect pick-me-up treat with lots of fiber, even protein and no refined sugars. And that little chocolate taste doesn't hurt either. If you are allergic to almonds or nuts, try sunflower seed butter, and if you want to keep it vegan then avoid the raw honey and go with the agave nectar. I have to say, with being pregnant and looking for smaller snacks throughout the day to keep my sugars balanced and my energy up, this is the perfect snack. I do love my cold watermelon snacks, and cold apples with almond butter, but this treat is a little more interesting. Another great thing about this recipe is that you can avoid dairy, gluten, and still have a hearty bar-like snack. Sometimes I get so annoyed at the prices of outrageous gluten-free snacks. It just seems like you have to be working a part time job to support your gluten-free needs. This recipe is not too pricey and you get to make it at home and control the ingredients. My kind of treat. So friends, I hope you try it out and enjoy!

Much love to you today!

xoxo

Stephanie