Gluten Free Nut Free Cereal Squares Recipe
Updated Apr 02, 2020, Published May 08, 2012
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This Gluten Free Nut Free Cereal Squares recipe is basically the love child of a rice crispy treat and a granola bar. These bars are gluten free, refined sugar free and a whole lot healthier. They are also nut and dairy free. And they happen to be crazy good!
With the temperatures already starting to soar here in Florida I also love the fact that these bars require no baking! I would much rather put my fridge to use than my oven when the thermometer is already flirting around the 90 degree mark.
I am going on a road trip with the family next month and as we all know, snacking on a road trip is an essential element to the whole experience. While I do like to have a couple naughty little treats on hand, it is also nice to have something to munch on that feels naughty but isn’t. I think these bars will be a perfect addition to our on-the-road stock of munchies.
These are fun to make with the kiddos – you do the chopping and heating and they can mix and press. You may have a tiny bit of trouble keeping them occupied while the mixture chills in the fridge for an hour but then again, patience is a much needed virtue (or so I am told).
This recipe is loosely based on one I saw in Sunset magazine, they used puffed rice cereal, almond butter, dried cherries, nuts, and chopped dark chocolate. I decided to give my recipe a nut free make over by using Sunbutter and seeds and instead of puffed rice I used Rice Twice, a gluten free cereal that contains a combination of puffed and crispy rice. I added things, took out things and played around with quantities of ingredients to get big fat squares.
The beauty of these bars is that you can customize them anyway you see fit. I like the combination of apricots, tart cherries, dark chocolate and salty, roasted pumpkin seeds but you can use any dried fruit or seed you love. Not a fan of dark chocolate? Use dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. And if you want to make this recipe vegan just swap out the honey with brown rice syrup or agave.
I looked at someone’s recipe, changed it up the way I wanted and made it my own. How would you take this recipe and make it YOUR own?
Gluten Free Nut Free Cereal Squares Recipe
Ingredients
- Gluten free non-stick cooking spray
- 1/3 cup Sunbutter – any variety
- ½ cup honey, (use agave or brown rice syrup for vegan)
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance, (or other dairy free butter)
- 3 cups Rice Twice Cereal, (or other gluten free puffed or crispy rice cereal)
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 1 cup dried apricots, , chopped
- 1 ¼ cups roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 3.5 ounces (about ½ cup when chopped) dark chocolate, chopped or use chocolate chips
Instructions
- Spray an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish with gluten free non-stick cooking spray. Line the dish with two pieces of plastic wrap making sure the wrap hangs over the edges by a couple inches.
- In a small sauce pan combine the Sunbutter, honey and Earth balance and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and fully combined.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cereal, cherries, apricots, seeds, and chocolate. Add the Sunbutter mixture and stir until well coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with another piece of plastic wrap and press the mixture down really firmly. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and using the overhanging pieces, remove the mixture from the dish and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut the mixture into quarters and then cut each quarter into quarters.
- The cereal squares can be made up to a week ahead, store in the refrigerator between sheets of waxed paper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was thinking about making granola bars this week, but couldn’t decide what to put in them….what I was in the mood for:-) I am in love with this recipe, and they would be fantastic when I travel! Take care, Terra
Thank you Terra – you take care too and enjoy!
you know carol, it’s scary how close these are to the bars I just made last weekend only my were using peanut butter – they’re so tasty with the dried fruit in. Perfect as a kind of naughty breakfast on the go when you realise at 9.30 that you haven’t eaten anything yet!
Kind of naughty and nice at the same time and I know what you mean, it happens to me all the time (but usually I don’t realize I haven’t eaten until later than that!).
I think it sounds delicious just the way it is! Fantastic combination of fruits w/ chocolates…I can almost taste it now!
Aww, thanks Stephanie! Thery are pretty delish as is :)
These sound wonderful and so simple. I love the idea of the dark chocolate added in there. Yum!
Thanks Nancy!
Delicious looking recipe Carol! Love Rice Twice – I wish they had it at my local store. I’ll pick up some of their regular brown rice crispies and give this a go though.
Thanks Alisa – I don’t see any reason this recipe wouldn’t work with whatever rice cereal you can find, but let me know!
These sound so yummy! My kids just started eating cereal bars (store-bought) and I would love to try making them myself! Thanks for the recipe Carol. I am a HUGE fan of the apricots in this recipe. xo
Thank you Maggie!
Chewy and indulgent Recipe! Pics you added looking spunky :)
Thank you Wanda!
Wow, these look so good and so pretty! I’m definitely thinking I need to give a version a try!
Thanks Alta, they were pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself :)
These look so tasty, light and lovely!
Thank you! Must say, they were pretty darn tasty!
Yes! You are talking my language here, girlfriend. We might hit 100 this weekend and I just cannot turn the oven on for too long when it is that hot. It raises the temps in the kitchen like 10 degrees immediately! I am totally going to make these-my boys will devour them!
Well Kim, at least Arizona has a dry heat :) Thank you and enjoy!!!