Starbucks Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars

• rolled oats↗2 cups
• crispy rice cereal↗2 cups

  see note below

• dried apricot, chopped↗1 cup
• dried cranberries, chopped↗1⁄2 cup
• sliced almonds↗1⁄2 cup
• pecan halves, chopped↗1⁄2 cup
• golden raisin↗1⁄2 cup
• sunflower seeds↗1⁄4 cup
• cinnamon↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• SYRUP MIXTURE
• brown sugar↗1⁄4 cup
• corn syrup or 1/2 cup honey↗1⁄2 cup
• vanilla↗1 teaspoon
• peanut butter↗1⁄2 cup

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Ingredient note: look in your health food aisle for a healthy alternative to Rice Krispies. The brand I found is made by Enviro-Kidz and uses BROWN rice.

2. 2

   Prepare 9x13 pan with non-stick spray (or line with parchment paper).

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, toss all dry ingredients. Feel free to substitute your preferred nut or dried fruit.

4. 4

   In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and allow to boil one minute. (Note: boiling the sugars is what helps the bars become firm and not sticky, so this step is important).

5. 5

   After boiling, turn off heat; add vanilla and peanut butter. QUICKLY pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredients and toss to combine.

6. 6

   Pour warm mixture into prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture down into the pan to compress the bars so they will slice evenly.

7. 7

   When cool, use a sharp knife to cut into 18 bars (1 long lengthwise cut and 9 cuts across). Enjoy with a hot cup of Starbucks coffee for an authentic experience!

8. 8

   Note: Starbucks does not list corn syrup in their ingredients, but the sweetener in their list is not readily available. I tried using Maple Syrup, but the bars were very crumbly and would not stay together in bars. Therefore, I found that Corn Syrup is the best ingredient that is readily available.