Chocolate Cake Batter Energy Bars

I am so happy! The baby rolled over from back to tummy this afternoon, while I was in the kitchen cooking – and he was in his Pack n’ Play near me. He had worked on it for a long time, even sleeping on his side of late hadn’t figured out the ‘moving the arm out of the way’. He was giggling, I looked over and there he was on his tummy. Here he was trying to look up at Kirk and I. We picked him up and oh was he smiling! He was very proud of himself!

A tasty take on energy bars/granola bars. A bit messy but very much toddler approved. Perfect for nibbling in the backyard, I wouldn’t suggest them for warm weather, they will get soft n’ messy. But you won’t be able to keep little ones out of them! They really taste like eating chocolate cake batter…..

Chocolate Cake Batter Energy Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup puffed brown rice cereal (Puffed Brown Rice )
• ¼ cup old-fashioned oats, ground finely
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 Tbsp chocolate sprinkles or balls, divided (see note)
• 5 Tbsp honey, preferably raw
• 3 Tbsp natural peanut butter, chunky is fine, or other seed/nut butter of choice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt, if your nut butter is unsalted, otherwise skip

Directions:

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, with plenty over hanging.

Mix the honey through vanilla (and salt if suing) in a large bowl. Toss the dry together in a large bowl, adding in 4 Tbsp of the pearls. Add the dry to the wet, stir till mixed. Pack into the lined bread pan, sprinkling the remaining 2 Tbsp pearls on top. Fold the overhanging wrap over the bars, press down firmly to pack. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until firmed, cut into bars.

Store in an airtight container, lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

Note:

I used cocoa pearls I found for cake decorating that were all natural. You can use whatever you prefer, a mix of colors is nice – such as milk, dark and white. Look in the cake decorating aisle or at restaurant supply stores that carry espresso supplies.

~Sarah