These chocolate crunch bars are soft and the crunch is delicious, and only 3 the ingredients to boost your mood and energy.
Chocolate Crunch Bars
Chocolate homemade crunch bars made of high quality dark chocolate with super healthy whole grains, or toasted quinoa, or rice puffs, or your favorite granola folded in. Fudge for breakfast?
Table of Contents For this Post
History of Chocolate Crunch Bars
Although this is a simple homemade recipe, it really is similar to a popular commercial candy bar made by Nestle company called the Nestle Crunch Bar. Their bar is made with chocolate and rice crisp cereal. Obviously lots of preservatives though, so to avoid preservatives and use quality chocolate and control sugar levels, you can make them yourself.
I used a pan and made bricks but you can get fancy and use a chocolate bar mold.
Before we dive further into the recipe, I'd like to invite you to sign up for my free chocolate course. Five lessons hit your inbox with detail on how to create your own simple healthy chocolate desserts.
Okay, so back to this recipe...
Ingredients in Crunch Bars
Chocolate – Use chocolate chips or your favorite dark chocolate bar.
Nut butter - this ingredients adds protein and smooths and softens the chocolate. You can also add 2 tbsp of coconut oil instead. Your bars will be harder but still delicious and coconut oil also provides healthy fats.
Crispy Cereal – You can use rice crisp cereal or kashi or any cereal you choose.
Are These Crunch Bars Gluten-Free?
It's easy to make this recipe gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free cereal such as rice crispies. I used Kashi here which is not gluten-free, but there are plenty of gluten-free cereals to choose from.
How to Make Homemade Crunch Bars
1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Melt chocolate and nut or seed butter in the microwave (or in a container on a pot of boiling water).
3. Stir in your cereal, a cereal you choose - rice crispies or kashi or even quinoa pops.
4. Pour into pan and chill until set! Cut, eat and store refrigerated.
How Healthy is Chocolate?
Dark chocolate is rich in nutrients including fiber, iron, magnesium and copper. And it is considered one of the best sources of antioxidants - right up there with blueberries. Cacao is made from the seed of the cocoa tree. So this is all pretty cool for a seed.
Studies show dark chocolate can improve your overall health and support your heart health. To get these benefits, you need to use true dark chocolate with 70% cacao or higher. Some quality brands I know of include Hu, Ghiradelli, Lindt, and Enjoy Life.
Ghiradelli and Lindt offer only some vegan selections so you have to check ingredients for milk products.
How Healthy are Crunch Bars?
Between the healthy chocolate and protein and fiber filled cereal, this crunch bar is full of healthy fats and fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals.
So I'd say this recipe is a big win-win for team chocolate!
Why I Love Crunch Bars
1. The bars are full of fiber and magnesium, as well as antioxidants.
2. These bars are melt-in-your-mouth fudgy, thanks to the addition of nut butter to the chocolate.
3. This recipe has only 3-ingredients, so the bars are super easy to make, and make quickly!
4. Also, these little treats are vegan, paleo, dairy-free, and refined-sugar free, and can be made gluten-free if you choose to use a gluten-free cereal such as rice crispies.
Tips to Make These Chocolate Crunch Bars
While it’s really very easy to make these vegan chocolate bars, here are few suggestions to make the process go flawlessly.
- Melt your nut butter in the microwave for 15 seconds to make it easier to stir up. Stir it up in the jar to be sure oils are more incorporated. My favorite runny brand to use is Whole Food's 365 brand. Be sure to use a nut butter that has only nuts, of course. No sugars.
- Use sunflower butter if you want to keep this recipe free of nuts.
- Choose a crunchy cereal! I have used puffed rice, puffed amaranth, toasted quinoa, healthy cereals like Kasha or Smart Bran. And of course, a granola is a perfect option. Be sure not to use something that might become soggy, like rolled oats.
- When it is time to slice squares, dip your knife in a pot of boiling water, wipe it off and make a single cut. Repeat until you have cut all squares.
If you like easy chocolate desserts, you will love my chocolate protein bars recipe and how-to as well as my recipe for Chocolate Carmel Cakes. It has a bit longer ingredient list, and but so delicious and nutritious!
More Easy Chocolate Snack Recipes
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Chocolate Homemade Crunch Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup nut butter
- 1 ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ¾ cup puffed whole grains rice or quinoa
Instructions
Prep
- Line a 6-inch square container with parchment.
Make the bars
- Put the nut butter and chocolate chips in a pot or glass measuring cup, and then put that into a pan with hot-to-boiling water. Don't let any water splash into your fudge!
- Melt both, swirling together with a spoon.
- When fully blended, fold in the puffed cereal.
- Pour mixture into parchment-lined container.
- You can sprinkle options on top or leave plain.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow it to set, and slice! Enjoy!
Anna
Made these today at work and they're SO good. They were devoured! 😊
Dee Dine
That's the best news Anna, thanks for telling me!
Ela
These bars made me stop breathing for a few seconds because they look out of this world! 😍😍😍 Such a wonderful and easy recipe, Dee. ❤
Debbie
Haha, Ela, what a super nice compliment! I've been eating them all day! Thanks for stopping by! Dee xx
Jess @choosingchia
These look AMAZING dee! Love how healthy they are too!
Debbie
Thank you Jess, I am so happy you love them! Take care, Dee xx
Natalie
These bars look and sound so delicious! Perfect treat to make with kids!
Debbie
Natalie, thank you so much! I agree, so easy to make with them! Dee xx