No Bake allergy free chocolate chip granola bars!

I just might have heard the Hallelujah chorus drifting down from the Heavens when I bit into these AMAZING granola bars. And that's not even the best part....
They are allergy free! Meaning my youngest 2 bear cubs can eat them!!

Empty of all the yucky preservatives, and FULL of yummy goodness! Win-win.

These ingredients are for a double batch (9x13 pan).  Feel free to scale it down for a smaller batch (8x8 pan) though I cant for the LIFE of me figure out why ANYone would want to do that.

1/2 c butter (we use Spectrum shortening-its 100% palm oil)
1/2 c honey
2/3c brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
4c quick cooking oats, uncooked
2 c rice Krispie type cereal
1/4 c + 3/4 c chocolate chips (we use Enjoy Life brand)
Well greased 9x13 pan

In a large bowl, mix together your oats, rice krispies and 1/4 c chocolate chips.

Then, put your butter, honey and brown sugar in a pot and bring to a boil over slightly higher than medium heat while stirring (you dont need to keep a super close eye on it)

It should look like this...

Once it reaches that point, turn the heat to about medium low and simmer for about a minute and a half. When your timer beeps at ya, take it off the heat and mix in your vanilla extract (SLOWLY, as it will explode everywhere if you just try to pour it all in. Dont ask.)

Then pour your mixture into the oats/cereal bowl and mix well to moisten.  Spoon this mixture into your prepared pan and smoosh it all down nice and flat. To do this, I put my hand in a baggie and then press down over the surface of the bars which will be quite smooshy still, til they are nice and compact. Then you will take your remaining chocolate chips and sprinkle over the top (add more if you like.  I wont be mad atcha!)  Then again, using the baggie, press the chocolate chips down into the bars.  When you have done this, place the pan into the fridge for 15-20 min, or until the bars harden a bit. Then take it out and slice them up into rectangles. Or bars. Or tiny little army men. Up to you.

Here is the pan sittin' in my fridge making buddies with that 1/2 empty jar of Prego and that sweet juicy orange. He's a friendly one, that pan of granola bars...
Anyway, I took this picture in my fridge as I had a feeling they would hypnotize me when they came out of the fridge...no joke....when I am cutting them up everything starts to get foggy, and when I come to, 1 or 4 of the bars is mysteriously missing....spooky....

I figured, I think, that when I cut them into 18 granola bars, that it was around 200 calories per bar. A little high I think, but you can swap something else out of your diet to fit these bad boys in. They are WORTH it.

This recipe is adapted from here
http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/

We've also done these plain, with cocoa powder added to the dry mix, and with craisins. It is so adaptable. Let me konw what creations YOU come up with!