Dietary: Gluten Free, Vegan

This recipe is perfect for those who want to have a great snack for community dinners/potlucks, parties, or even a snack with your morning coffee. These can act as mock versions of crunch bar or rice crispy treats that are friendly to those who practice a gluten free (GF) diet. Not only is this recipe gluten free, but also vegan!

These can be left in room temperature or refrigerated, and can be kept in your freezer for up to 2 months. The texture of the recipe is very crunchy, gooey, chewy, and sticky, without it being too sweet. This recipe only utilizes 4 ingredients, all of which can be found at the Berkeley Food Pantry (FP) or made accessible at your local market at low costs. This recipe is perfect to make a healthy balance of protein, carbs, and fats, all necessary macronutrients needed to meet dietary recommendations for human nutrition.

Ingredients:

+4 cups of Corn Flakes *(used Barbara’s Organic GF Corn Flakes from FP)

+1 cup of Peanut Butter* (used Adams 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter)

• If you are allergic to nuts and need a peanut-free alternative, you can opt to use sunflower seed butter or wow butter as cost-effective options.

+1/2 cup of Maple Syrup or Honey* (can be purchased at low costs outside of FP)

Optional Ingredient:

+1 Tablespoon Cinnamon* (can be purchased at low costs outside of FP)

Steps:

1. Melt your peanut butter and sugar substitute option in a microwave safe bowl for 1 min or place in a small pot on low heat until the mixture is melted through.
   • If you want more of a gooey consistency, add one or two teaspoons maple syrup or honey into your mixture.
2. Pour in the cornflakes, making sure to fold and mix in an even amount of peanut butter and maple syrup or honey into all the flakes until fully combined.
   • You will start to notice the dry mixture combining naturally with the sticky concoction, so make sure to do this step after heating up the wet ingredients first.
3. Lightly wet your hands and pour the mixture out of the bowl into the lined pan and even distribute until flat. Make sure to press the bars firmly into place on the pan.
   • Optional step: sprinkle cinnamon on top of the bars for a nice, aromatic kick!
4. Let the bars sit on the pan before cutting by either refrigerating them for 30 minutes or letting them rest in room temperature for 1 hour.
   • For firmer, durable bars, keep refrigerated.
5. Cut into the bars, and enjoy!

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