So many of my summer memories from when I was a kid involve sitting poolside, snacking on hot french fries with a side of a semi-melted Crunch Bar. It was always my go-to candy bar of choice. There is something about the smooth chocolatey taste plus the crispy rice combination that I love so much. I don’t crave traditional candy bars often, but when I do, I like to come up with healthier versions to satisfy my sweet tooth. I have even Healthified crunch bars in the past with less ingredients than the recipe below.
Heading into Halloween, I added crunch bars to my list of candy recipes to create, despite having one already on my website. I knew there was a way I could put a unique spin on the sweet treat. While you can use puffed rice, I thought it would be different to use puffed quinoa instead. So that is what I did. I also amped up the ingredients with creamy peanut butter and honey, which add more mouthfeel and sweetness compared to my previous version.
How to make healthier Crunch bars
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these healthier Crunch bars:
- Peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
- A liquid sweetener (I suggest honey)
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Puffed quinoa (or rice)
- Chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (I love unsweetened Pascha chocolate chips to reduce the sugar content of my recipes, but they aren’t sweet, so if you need a lower percentage of dark chocolate, use 70%)
- Coconut oil
What makes these crunch bars healthier?
The ingredients in a traditional Crunch bar include:
Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, milkfat, lactose, soy lecithin, natural flavor), crisped rice (rice, sugar, barley malt, salt).
What you see is refined sugar, deconstructed milk products, soy emulsifiers, additives, and preservatives. In other words, Crunch bars are an ultra-processed food (UPF). If you are someone with food intolerances, or simply trying to avoid inflammatory ingredients, making your own healthier crunch bars at home is the way to go!
Healthier Crunch Bars {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}
Equipment
- saucepan
- mixing bowl
- 8×8 baking tin
Ingredients
- 2 cups puffed quinoa
- ¾ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking tin with parchment paper (or use a silicone one). Place puffed quinoa in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Cook over low-medium heat until the mixture starts to melt, about 1-2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and honey, and continue to cook until all of the ingredients are melted together, about 3 to 5 more minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally and watch the mixture carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the puffed quinoa. Stir until a “dough” is formed.
- Transfer to the baking tin, and press it into the bottom. Chill it in the freezer for at least one hour to set. Remove from the baking tin and slice into bars of desired size (squares or rectangles). Store in the refrigerator.
