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If you’re a fan of granola bars, I’ve got a recipe you must try! These S’more Granola Bars just might be one of the best things I have ever made!
With school back in full swing I am back to making snacks for lunch boxes and after-school snacks. My kids love Energy Bites, so today I decided to do a different spin on my regular recipe. I added a few different ingredients to make them a little more like a granola bar.
They turned out AWESOME! I had to get it up for you right away! If you have never made energy bites you have got to give it a try. They are a great way to stuff healthy ingredients into a fun shape that your kids won’t be able to resist eating.
I like to put a plastic bag over my hand when I am forming this into balls to keep it less messy. I use a cookie scoop to keep them all uniform.
Other Healthy Snack Ideas
- 2 cups rice crispy cereal
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or nut of your choice
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ¼ cup mini M&M's
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
- 1 heaping tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup agave nectar (can substitute honey or karo syrup)
- In a large mixing bowl combine, rice crispies, oats, chopped nuts, raisins, ground flax seed, chia seeds, coconut oil and vanilla.
- In a microwave safe bowl combine, honey and agave nectar. Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds
- Remove hot honey mixture and stir in Marshmallows until they melt. May need to heat 10-15 more seconds if marshmallow won't completely melt.
- Stir peanut butter into honey, marshmallow mixture until well combined
- Pour over dry mix and stir until everything is coated evenly
- Let rest 2-3 minutes and sprinkle M&M's into mixture.
- Using a cookie scoop and plastic bag, form granola mixture into balls. refrigerate or freeze for a couple hours before serving
- Keep extras in the fridge or freezer.
....and some not so healthy ideas
So, how can we get these to stick together without using marshmallows? more honey? we might experiment tomorrow.
Cooking the honey and agave a little longer might help (not to long though it will burn). I tried it once without marshmallows and they technically still stuck together, however, it took alot more elbow grease to get them to stay in a ball. Once they were frozen they stayed together fine though. Just add a little more of equal parts honey and peanut butter it you want to leave out the marshmallow and you should be fine. Good luck!
I love these granola bar bites, I bet they love em! I’m so excited that you have your own food blog now. Love the photos great job!
Thanks Suzanne, I am excited. I miss you lady! We should meet up at a blog conference or TOFW sometime. Love ya!
Can I omit the nuts? My daughter is allergic
Hi Carlie,
Yes you could leave out the nuts, but you would need to find something to substitute for the peanut butter, it is a pretty crucial ingredient. Without it they will not hold together as well.
If your daughter is allergic to nuts you can try sun butter, its sunflower seeds. 🙂
Hi! Just ran onto your blog and wanted to say how great it is! Love this recipe for granola bites! My kiddos would love these! I am thinking of making some to have as part of lunches when we are in a rush. 🙂 Have a great day!
~Laura Muir
Fresh Cooking=Happy People
http://www.freshcookinghappypeople.blogspot.com
Swing over to my blog sometime if you like. 🙂
Hi Laura,
Thanks for stopping by. I will definitely swing over and check out your blog.
Looks like a yummy recipe. Hubby of 38 years still takes a lunch every day. I’m sure he would love one of these fun bites in his lunch too.
Welcome to blog land!
Thanks Cindy. Oh yes, I am sure your husband would not turn one down if it showed up in his lunch box. 🙂
I made these this morning using 3/4 C honey, 3/4 C peanut butter, and 2 t gelatin mixed in. I left out the marshmallows and my 3 boys loved them! Adding them to the snack list. I can see many combos of flavors to use. Thanks so much!
Awesome! I am so glad you tried them! Adding gelatin was a great idea! I saw a post on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe where she used quite a bit more ground flax seed in a similar recipe. I think that might be another option to get them to hold together without having to add marshmallows. Thanks for leaving a comment. I love comments and feedback. Have a great day! -Maria
These are amazing. Emi always asks for a cookie, and these are a much better choice than regular cookies. She loves them! Now if I could only stop myself from eating them… 🙂
Thanks Kristal! Awww, I just love that Emi. I am not a total health nut, but I do like to find ways to make things we eat all the time a little healthier. 🙂 I am so glad you and Emi like them, And don’t feel to bad about eating them, they have some good fiber and protein going on. 🙂
Made these the other day and we are hooked! I subbed crushed peanuts for the pecans (tree nut allergies in our house) and my kiddos said they liked them much better than regular rice krispie treats. My only problem was getting them to stay in a ball. After struggling for 15 min and only have 1/2 a dozen in balls, I threw everything back into the bowl, laid some parchment down and over the sides of of an 8×10 pan, and pressed the mixture in the pan. After refrigerating I pulled out the parchment, cut the mixture into bars, and we nibbled on them for a week. Not as fun as balls, but super delicious just the same! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You are welcome. I am so glad your family loves these too. Great idea with the parchment and turning them into bars!
These will be perfect for my girls, can’t wait to make them! #augustgiveaways
My kiddo’s would love these! They are perfect for an on the go after school snack! I’m sharing on Facebook!
Thanks Amy!
I made these for an after school snack today and they were a hit! My kids pick nuts out of things so I left them out and I only had mini chocolate chips instead of m&m’s, so they weren’t quite as cute…but my kids loved them. Thanks!
Hi Aubri,
I am so glad they were a hit. Thank you so much for taking time to come back and let me know! Mini chocolate chips are so fun too!