I tried three new Muesli Bar recipes last week.  One was far too sweet to be called a muesli bar, one was so-so, and this one was perfect.  I’ve had this recipe in my Bookmarks for a while now, but I rarely have Rice Bubbles in the house because they send Miss 9’s Blood Glucose Levels soaring, but this week when I looked at all of the other nutritious ingredients in the recipe I decided to give it a try and I bought a bag of Rice Bubbles (which are now very well hidden).  I wish I had tried it sooner, this recipe from Kidspot (which was apparently inspired by a Julie Goodwin recipe) is a nice, light muesli bar unlike some of the jaw munchers  I have tried in the past.  It’s full of things like craisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and sultanas and makes a great on-the-go breakfast for busy mums as well as a nice lunch box snack for the kids.  And you could easily change-up the ingredients to suit yourself.  Next time I think I am going to try dried apricots.  Kidspot didn’t actually give them a name, so I’m going to call them Light & Tasty Muesli Bars.  Light as in not heavy, not light as in low fat or anything because I’m not a nutritionist, so I haven’t done any calculations, but I do consider it to be a reasonably healthy option for my kid’s lunch boxes.

Light & Tasty Muesli Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups Rolled Oats (preferably not quick oats)

1 1/2 Cups Rice Bubbles (puffed rice)

1/2 Cup Craisins

1/2 Cup Sultanas or Currants (I used Sultanas)

1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut

1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds or Linseeds (I used Sunflower)

150g Butter, diced

2/3 Cup Honey

1/3 Cup Caster Sugar (I used Regular because that is all I had)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180°C. If using fan-forced, 160°C.

Grease a lamington pan or one of similar sizing and line with greaseproof/baking paper.  Grease the paper over the top to hold in place.

Mix the oats, rice bubbles, craisins, currants, coconut, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

Heat the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan, melt the butter and stir to combine all ingredients, simmer until mixture becomes more syrupy and honeycomb colour.  Take off the heat.

Stir liquid gradually into the dry ingredients and when well combined, spoon into pan/tin.  Press down well… put into the oven for 20 minutes.

The mix should be golden brown on top when you take it out of the oven.  Cool in the tray.

I recommend putting this bar in the fridge for a little while before you attempt to slice it up because it will just fall apart if you don’t let it set first.  It’s so yummy I have actually wondered if you could break it up into little clusters and use it as a breakfast cereal.  My girls would love that!

I sourced this recipe at http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Cakes-&-Baking+20/Easy-school-lunch-muesli-bars-recipe+2815.htm