Party snacks

Four ingredients to make crispy rice bars include: brown rice crisps cereal, brown rice syrup, natural peanut butter and salt.

The season has come to jump into the kitchen and cook up some holiday goodies. When going to a holiday gathering it is nice to take a snack along to share.

We came across a new recipe for crispy rice bars and they do not even have marshmallows in them. With a few changes to the ingredient amounts, we found it simple and fast to make. And it makes a great snack to share.

To make measuring ingredients easier we increased the amount of the brown rice syrup to use the whole jar. Also we use the whole box of brown rice cereal. This not only saves time measuring ingredients, but there is less items to clean up with less measuring cups used.

The ingredients are not hard to find either. We found the syrup and cereal in the health food section at Raley’s.

Ingredients include:

One 1 pound 5 ounce jar of brown rice syrup

One 10 ounce box brown rice crisps cereal

3/4 cup natural peanut, soy nut or almond butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small sauce pan heat brown rice syrup and salt on low to medium heat until liquefied. Add peanut butter and cook, stirring until heated through but not boiling. About five minutes.

Pour cereal into a large bowl. With a spatula stir peanut butter mixture into the cereal.

Spray a 9 by 13 pan with cooking oil. Press crispy rice mix into pan and let cool one hour.

Cut into 24 bars.

This recipe uses no sugar and is gluten free. Also soy nut butter or almond butter can be used in place of peanut butter for those who cannot eat peanuts.

Optional ingredients can be added such as chopped walnuts or other nuts, carob or chocolate chips, dried fruit bits or small candy pieces. Use 2/3 cup of one option and add when mixing cereal with peanut butter mix.

Last year in our Nov. 9, 2007 blog on party pleasers we listed two recipes we take to many functions. They are no-bake balls and peanut butter balls. These are also no sugar and gluten free recipes. They are both easy to make and no baking is required for either recipe.

Things we look for when trying a recipe are healthy, fast and easy. Healthy because we care about what we put into our bodies. Fast and easy is important because we do not have time for complicated recipes.

When planning a holiday get-together try to include someone who has no family of their own to share the holidays with. It will make the day brighter for them as well as for you.