The Who Needs Clif Bars Bar Recipes

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP CLIF BARS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the sunflower seed butter, honey, vanilla, and salt and stir constantly until melted together.
• Remove from heat and in a large mixing bowl combine the cereal and sunflower butter mixture, stir until well combined.
• Place bowl in the refrigerator and allow the cereal mixture to cool for about 10-15 minutes. This is important to prevent the chocolate chips from melting when added.
• When the cereal mixture is cooled, fold the coconut, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips into the cereal mixture. With clean hands is easiest.
• Line a 9×13-inch baking pan or dish with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the pan and using your hands, firmly press the dough into the pan, spreading out evenly. For a thicker bar use an 11×7-inch or 9×9-inch pan or dish.
• Place in the freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
• Bars will keep up to two weeks in a covered container in the fridge (or freeze for longer storage).

HOMEMADE CLIFF BARS (NO BAKE!)

Steps:

• Combine the rice cereal, oats, flaxseed meal, dried fruit, and nuts in a large bowl.
• Bring the syrup and brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in nut butter and vanilla until blended.
• Pour nut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated (mixture will be stiff). Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) using a large square of wax paper.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 12 bars.
• (Wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator).
• Variations:.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie: Replace the dried fruit with an equal amount of semisweet miniature chocolate chips (or carob chips). Combine the cereal mixture with the syrup mixture, then let the combined mixture stand 10 minutes before adding the chips.
• Peanut Butter Cookie: Use chopped dates for the dried fruit and dry roasted peanuts for the nuts. Use honey, or half honey-half molasses for the syrup and peanut butter for the nut butter.
• Will You Cherry Me? Use chopped dried tart cherries for the fruit and lightly salted roasted almonds for the nuts. Use any nut butter (almond butter is great, but I know, very expensive, and add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.
• Apple Pie: Use chopped dried apples for the fruit and rice syrup or honey for the syrup. Be sure to add the cinnamon option, and use toasted walnuts or pecans for the nuts.

THE " WHO NEEDS CLIF BARS?" BAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Grind the pecans into a flour-like powder using a food processor. Pour into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Process the dried fruit in the same way, in the food processor-- make sure the pieces are good and small. This might take awhile. If using dried apricots instead, it might help to slice them in half before adding them to the food processor. When finished, add to the bowl with the pecan 'flour'. Add cinnamon and orange zest to taste.
• Add the egg to the mix, and work it into the pecans and raisins with your hands. You want the mixture to be drier than cookie dough usually is-- just barely holding together. The stickiness of the dried fruit will help the mixture stay in clumps.
• Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray, or use butter. Shape your bars out of the mixture-- I usually aim for bars which are about 2 x 4 inches x 3/8-inch thick.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, though watch the edges of the bars-- they can get toasty. When the center of each bar is somewhat firm to the touch, remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.