recipe for homemade milk and cereal bars?

[passionatemom]

I have scoured my cookbook, AKA the internet. I don't think anyone has ever made these before. I am not in a mood to experiment myself, so I really wish for a recipe.

I'm guessing it might involve sweetened condensed milk, or maybe cream cheese?

Maybe I should just make cereal bars and spread one of the above on them. But if you have a recipe, let me know!

[RealLifeMama]

Since you are willing to use sweetened condensed milk, I will post the recipe for Nigella Lawson's Breakfast Bars.
They are delicious and so easy.

1 14-fl-oz can condensed milk
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
1 cup natural unsalted peanuts (I use almonds or walnuts instead, I also add some salt. )
I also add chcolate chips. :shifty

Her instructions were slightly different, but I have been making these for years so I will give mine. :shifty


Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a 9x13 with parchment.
mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Pour milk over ingredients and mix well with a silicone scraper spoon or whatever works for you, but these work the best. She said to warm the milk, but I never do. I found it not necessary and it melted my chocolate.
Spread the mixture into the pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands to make the surface even.
Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.
Makes 16

Easy!

[passionatemom]

:rockon Thanks. I will try these.

If the milk is all mixed in, then it won't look like prepackaged ones, where they have a layer of "milk" stuff on the top or in the middle. But that doesn't mean it won't taste similar, or even better. I like the sound of it. :)

[passionatemom]

Ok, I finally got around to making them. Soooo good! And easy! Thank you!

I agree with you about adding salt and chocolate chips. 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup chips is enough to make me happy. And with a peanut allergy in the house, I couldn't find seeds that were safe to use, so I used a cup of rice crispy cereal instead. Really you could use a variety of cereal and skip some of the more special/expensive ingredients. Not as much protein that way, but plenty of whole grains and fiber.

And I suppose one could use regular condensed milk rather than sweetened, to cut the sugar, and add a little bit just to taste.

Also, the parchment - is that just to make cleanup easier? Or do they really stick so much that you have to use it? I might try just greasing the pan next time. (Yeah, I don't mind butter/fat any more than sugar!)

[RealLifeMama]

Also, the parchment - is that just to make cleanup easier? Or do they really stick so much that you have to use it? I might try just greasing the pan next time. (Yeah, I don't mind butter/fat any more than sugar!)

I am making these today!

I actually use the parchment so that I can remove the whole from the pan to a cutting board and then use a pizza cutter to slice them into bars. I have been doing it so long, I forgot that is why. I don't know if she originally said to use parchment or to grease or whatever.