It’s Wednesday Thursday {because it’s summer and I’m not sure what freakin’ day of the week it is} and that means the Recipe Edition!

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With friends like Vanessa making me treats every time she sees me, who needs new pants? That would be me. In all seriousness though, these are delicious and I enjoyed every sweet bite.

Thank you to Vanessa for taking my new-found allergies {dairy} to heart when thinking about recipes and cooking for me. Always feel the love!

Without further ado, here’s Vanessa!

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It’s been over a decade since I’ve eaten a Rice Krispies treat.  A diagnosis of a corn allergy took them off the table (literally!) since they’re made with marshmallows, which are made with corn syrup.  It’s not exactly a tragedy that an item of junk food has been put on my no-fly list, and it’s not like I ate them often to begin with, but once in a while the craving for that sweet, dense, sticky mess calls my name, and I must answer.

And my answer is this:  Almond Butter and Honey Rice Cereal Bars.  They’re made with just a few simple ingredients, require no baking (a bonus in summer), and might even be considered good for you.  You can easily vary the type of nut butter you use, like peanut or cashew.  I like using roasted and salted seeds in this recipe because they add just a bit of that irresistible salty-sweet quality to the bars.  And don’t limit yourself to just sunflower and pumpkin seeds when there is dried coconut, dried fruit, nuts, and even chocolate chips to consider adding in to the mix.

To help the bars firm up, pop them in the fridge for a half hour or so.  Have a cold glass of milk (cow, nut, or other) handy to complete the experience, or just go ahead and throw a scoop of ice cream on top of one since that’s what you were really wanting to do anyway.

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Almond Butter and Honey Rice Cereal Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
6 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup shelled, roasted, salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup shelled, roasted, salted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, combine the almond butter, honey, and vanilla over medium-low heat.*  Stir until the mixture is completely combined.  You don’t want the mixture to be hot but just barely warmed so that the ingredients will mix together.

Remove the pot from the stove.  Add in the rice cereal and seeds.  Stir slowly and carefully to mix everything together evenly.  A rubber or silicone spatula is helpful for this.

Dump the mixture into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.  Using the back of the rubber spatula or fingertips slightly dampened with cold water, very firmly press the mixture into the pan.

Cut into 18 squares and keep the extras stored for up to a few days in an airtight container.

*If you want to avoid turning on the stove, combine the first three ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Nuke the ingredients at 20-second intervals, stirring in between until the mixture is smooth, taking care not to overheat it.  Pour the mixture and the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl, and continue from there.

Serve.

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Want to see more of Vanessa’s guest recipe posts?

Questions? Comments? Love for V3 or me?

Do you have any recipes or favorite {dairy free} foods to share?