Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars #SundaySupper

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars {Alida's Kitchen} Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars are easy, no-bake bars made nut-free with sunflower seed butter, and topped with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate. They are also gluten-free.  

With back-to-school just around the corner, we are starting to think about ideas for what to pack for school lunch.  Something nutritious, delicious and easy isn’t too much to ask, right?  A little variety might be nice too.  Fortunately, today I am joining the Sunday Supper Movement, and the theme is ‘lunch box.’  Several wonderful bloggers have come up with fantastic recipes and ideas to help solve the lunchbox dilemma.  These are recipes are helpful when packing your own lunch to bring to work!  You can find links to all of the wonderful recipes at the bottom of this post.  But first, let’s talk about these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars!     Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars {Alida's Kitchen}

When coming up for the recipe for these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars, I decided to give one of my favorite easy recipes, Grandma’s Peanut Butter Bars, a school-friendly makeover.  These days, so many schools are going peanut- and tree nut-free due to the rising prevalence of nut-related allergies.  By using sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter, Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars are nut-free.  They are also gluten-free, if that is also a dietary concern.

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars actually taste almost peanut buttery and surprisingly close to the original recipe.  There is just a hint of sunflower seed flavor, which is definitely not a bad thing.  (Have you ever had chocolate covered sunflower seeds?  They’re amazing!)  I used Cocoa Pebbles instead of plain Rice Krispies, and the extra chocolate flavor went really nicely with the sunflower seed butter.  The layer of chocolate on the top is what really makes these a special treat!  The fact that they are no-bake and super easy to make is just a bonus.   

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars {Alida's Kitchen}

Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars
 
This easy recipe is adapted from my grandma's recipe for Peanut Butter Bars. These no-bake bars are made using only 4 ingredients and are nut-free by using sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
Yields: 16 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 cup sunflower seed butter (creamy or chunky)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups cocoa-flavored puffed rice cereal, such as Pebbles or Rice Krispies
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat sunflower seed butter and butter until smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar, and continue beating until combined. If mixture is stiff, add more sunflower seed butter. If mixture is loose, add more powdered sugar.
  3. Stir in cereal until combined.
  4. Press mixture into a 8-inch square pan (or 9-inch). Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  5. Melt chocolate chips (in microwave or stovetop) and spread over cereal mixture until evenly covered. Refrigerate until chocolate is set (about 1 hour).
  6. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Sunflower seed butter can be a bit more runny than peanut butter, so adjust the consistency of your mixture by adding more powdered sugar or cereal as needed.

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And remember that we have a #SundaySupper chat at 7 PM each on Sunday evening. We tweet throughout the day using the hashtag #SundaySupper, then we all gather to share ideas, recipes and answer questions from 7-8 PM ET. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest Board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? You can sign up here: Sunday Supper Movement

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Comments

  1. I am SO glad you’ve joined up with the Sunday Supper team, Alida! Your bars look totally decadent and irresistible!!! We were on the same wavelength this week 🙂

  2. Welcome to #SundaySupper! So glad to have another familiar face around. Your sunbutter bars look delicious!

  3. I just love this idea! I could eat the whole batch!

  4. Chocolate covered sunflower seeds are the bomb. I love that you made them in bar form! I’ll totally have to try it out.

  5. These look delicious!

  6. These bars sound delicious and so darn chocolaty. I love it!