I spend a lot of idle time scrolling through Pinterest or Food Gawker admiring all manner of food, but we all know it’s the desserts that really catch my eye. These days, though, I’m always curious to see the newest iteration of granola bars (or oatmeal cookies, or energy balls, what have you).

Even though there are a lot of common themes and flavor profiles, there always seems to be a new twist or formation that makes the next recipe healthier or tastier. When I visit my parents’ house, I often try a new variation that I’ve found for my family to snack on all weekend.

I try to find recipes that have some purposeful ingredients or “super foods” but are still tasty. I came across a recipe for these Almond Energy Bars on one of my favorite blogs: Carrots ‘N Cake, so I wanted to give it a try.

She was posting on behalf of an almond company so she used almond flour, but I used AP flour instead. I didn’t want to buy an ingredient that I wouldn’t use regularly. Plus she used brown rice cereal to make it gluten free, but I went traditional with normal rice cereal, because the flour choice already killed my gluten free dreams.

These bars are a little on the crumbly side (even though I did my best to pack down the batter before baking), and not too sweet. But I like the idea that I’m not snacking on too much sugar, but I’m still getting some nutrients from almonds, cranberries, chia seeds, etc.

The next time you need something to munch on between meals, give these a try!

Almond Granola Bars

Yields about 9-16 small squares, Adapted from Carrots ‘N Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs chia seeds (I added a little more)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line an 8×8 baking pan (or a pan with an equivalent area) with parchment paper (it’s just easier that way).
2. Combine everything in a mixing bowl, and make sure everything is incorporated evenly.
3. Pack the batter into the parchment lines baking pan. Press down to ensure bars hold together.
4. Bake 25 minutes until top is lightly golden brown. Allow to cool completely before you slice.