I originally posted this on Facebook, but it has become difficult to find. Feel free to play with the recipe. If you come up with any interesting modifications, please post them in the comments.

Gluten Free Nut Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup each:

Almonds

Cashews

Walnuts

Pecans

2 cups gluten free rice cereal

2 cups gluten free pretzel sticks

1/2 cup honey

1/4 almond butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-2 tbs salted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 10 oz package of dark chocolate chunks, (I use 62%)

Directions

Roast nuts in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

(When nuts have cooled, roughly chop half of them – if you like)

Leave oven at 300 degrees

Break up pretzel sticks into chunks and mix in zip top bag w/ rice cereal & cooled nuts

Line a 9″x13″ pan with parchment paper

In a medium sauce pan mix honey, nut butter, salt, and butter. Heat over medium until mixture loosens up some. Add brown sugar and stir, over heat, until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat, then add vanilla. Stir to incorporate.

Stir nuts and dry mixture into wet mixture. (use a sturdy spoon. it will not look like enough liquid to coat the dry – it is, just keep stirring/ folding)

* the liquid mixture will be hot and sticky, like candy napalm. Be careful *

When all ingredients are mixed, spread in an even layer in pan. Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before de-panning.

(This is where you can break this into two sections. I often allow the bar to cool over night before moving on to the next step.)

With a heavy knife, cut large bar into smaller bars. (I usually cut it into sixteen separate bars, but cut it as you like.)

In a small to medium Pyrex bowl, heat 2/3 of the chocolate in the microwave. How long this takes depends on your microwave. I put it in for 45 seconds, then for 30 second intervals. You’ll know it’s there when the bottom layer of the chocolate begins to look melty but not melted. Do not microwave until all of the chocolate looks melted – you will burn your chocolate.

Take out the chocolate and stir, the residual heat should melt the rest of the chocolate in the bowl to a smooth consistency. If it doesn’t, microwave for another 20-30 seconds. When you have a smooth consistency, add the rest of the room temperature chocolate. Again, the residual heat should melt it without a problem. This is called seeding the chocolate and will help it hold its temper.

(if you know how to temper chocolate, feel free to do it the proper way. This is just a quick and dirty way to get it done.)

Dip the bottom/ smooth side of bars in chocolate and remove excess- as you like – with a spatula. Allow bars to rest, upside down, until chocolate sets.

Wrap in wax paper and store in zip top bags. Will keep in refrigerator for a long while.

Be sure to allow bars to reach room temperature before eating, unless you like a very sore jaw.

My version makes 16 servings, but can be more depending on how you cut the bars.

Enjoy.