Sports Bars with Dried Fruit and Peanut Butter

I love this recipe. I started using it to replace the breakfast bars my children were taking with them to school. I wanted something more wholesome but they don't eat when they first get up so it needed to be transportable. I have found that you can use almost any kind of whole grain cereal, not just puffed types. And for the fruits and nuts, I use whatever I want to, just being sure to have a cup and a quarter total. I use a large sheet of tin foil, butter it rather than using the spray, and then line the pan with it. As the others mentioned, I press the mixture before baking and also after baking. I let it cool in the pan, then remove it using the foil and turn it out on a cutting board to cut into bars. No mess in the pan, no trouble getting it out, it works very well. Oh, and it only takes me about 10 minutes of prep to make these each Sunday for the entire week.

• alleyrose

• Michigan

• 11/14/2011

这些都是美味又简单。下次我will definitely add some different dried fruits and nuts to mix it up and will mash them down waaaaay more. They crumbled a bit when cut so I put them in the fridge overnight and this really helped to set them. YUM!

• marion7282

• boston, ma

• 3/8/2011

So good and easy! I took another reviewer's advice and replaced the corn syrup w/ half banana and half maple syrup. I found plain puffed wheat cereal all tucked away from the sugary cereals in the grocery store, but I think anything similar would work great. This will be my go-to trail mix bar recipe from now on.

• cibomiele

• 7/13/2010

I loved this recipe. I doubled it when I made it. I also changed a few ingredients. I cut the corn syrup in half and used a mashed banana instead. I also mixed up the cereal. I included rolled oats and some Honey Bunches of Oats with the Kashi. *You have to be sure to monitor the burner with the peanut butter mixture. It will burn easily.

• MHagmaier

• Columbus, OH

• 4/7/2010

These are very good, even better than some of the granola bars i usually by. They are also incredibly easy to make! I substituted rice syrup for corn syrup, and it worked perfectly.

• upandcominge

• boston, ma

• 3/13/2010

Really satisfying. I brought these to a track practice for Team In Training (Leukemia Society) and they got great reviews. Based on other reviews I added a bit more p.b. and a touch of maple syrup, other than that made as written except used a glass 10 x 6 pan. Baked for a bit longer and reduced temp to 325 half way through. I lightly buttered pan (no spray) and used parchment on my hand to compact it before baking. Upon rmvg from oven I smashed down with spatula..no crumbling problem. The tart cherries make it. One comment "tastes like a PB&J sandwich. WIll make again.

• flits

• Los Angeles, MA

• 2/12/2010

I just saw another reviewer complaining about the crumbliness of these bars - mine held together better than a commercial granola bar, even after several days bouncing around in my backpack. I'm wondering if people aren't mashing them down enough both before and after baking? Also, I've wrapped mine up individually after taking them out of the pan and that might help them stick together better. Just a couple of thoughts.

• delianeal

• 11/22/2009

These were excellent! I made them for a 6-day deer hunt that involved a lot of hiking with heavy backpacks and they worked great as portable breakfasts and lunches! they also kept well for about 10 days (I made 4 batches). I used generic puffed rice cereal (cheaper than Kashi) and a combo of almond and peanut butter. I've substituted all kinds of different dried fruits and nuts - I think the cherries should be the once constant since they have such a great taste. I've also used different kinds of chopped nuts - and they have been great every time. I've subbed agave syrup and added some prickly pear syrup with the honey. You must press them down (with a cooking-spray-coated hand) before putting them in the oven and I mash them down with a spatula as soon as they come out. I only bake them abt 5-7 mins and allow them to cool completely. I had no issues with crumbling and everyone loved them - guess what everyone's getting in their Christmas baskets this year?!

• delianeal

• mesa, az

• 11/22/2009

Did a little bit of subbing out of things-- rolled oats instead of Kashi, and apple preserves instead of corn syrup. Still turned out very good, if a little crumbly and sweet I don't know how to fix the crumbly without increasing the sweet, and vice-versa, so I'll probably leave well enough alone on the proportions of syrup:cereal. Will definitely make again, in different variations.

• Anonymous

• Bloomington, IN

• 11/3/2009

Oh I also used Agave instead of the honey as I didn't have any on hand but will try it with honey the next time to see how the flavor is.

• aksunrize

• 10/12/2009

Loved this recipe... I adjusted it to be gluten/peanut/corn free using puffed rice & puffed millet, Sunbutter & brown rice syrup. It turned out delicious and my 10 year old son thought so as well. Next time I will probably double the fruit & nuts.

• aksunrize

• 10/12/2009

I want to make this receipe, sounds great, but hate honey, can anyone tell me what to sub for that ingredient? Thanks!

• Anonymous

• Howell, N.J.

• 9/4/2009

Pretty good! Keep the proportions of grain to fruit to syrup the same and you should be good to go with any combo. I made mine with Kashi GO LEAN and generic puffed rice, cashews, craisins and dried blueberries and chocolate morsels. I also accidentally did 1/3 cup honey and corn syrup, but wasn't terrible. Just more "candy" than I had planned on, and less healthy.

• kawaiiflamingo

• 8/17/2009

. I was scared about a potential pan mess after I saw how sticky the syrup got in the saucepan, but once baked and cooled the bars came out very easily.

• kawaiiflamingo

• Austin, TX

• 8/15/2009

Excellent! Tasty and lightweight. These were our breakfasts on our 7-day backpack up to Mt Whitney. Of course, when you're out there, almost everything tastes delicious!

• Anonymous

• Monterey Hills, CA

• 4/11/2009