Nut free Home made Muesli Bars

2016 is a big year here, our first born has started Kindergarten, which means we have entered the world of packed lunches.  This means I've set out to find tasty snacks that are still on the healthier side of things to pop in the lunch boxes, the kinder also likes the food to be as nude as possible, basically meaning to leave all the packaging at home.  Fruit is a given, it's easy, some of it even comes in it own nifty container, cucumber and carrot sticks are also a favourite with my chickens as is home made easiyo yogurt [I'll be sure to blog about this process down the track!].  I thought that Muesli bars would be a great little companion to the fruit and veg snacks, but I'm not overly keen to spend the extra dollars on sugar filled bars....eeekkkk I'm starting to sound crunchy! Plus this kinder like so many other kindergartens and schools is a nut free zone, in Miss I's class alone there are 4 kids that are potentially anaphylactic.  I've been very lucky so far with my kids and they don't have any allergies, which feels like a miracle considering I'm bloody allergic and intolerant to every second thing I look....OK that's a slight exaggeration! Anyway the point I was getting to is that whatever goes into the lunchbox needs to be nut free and stripped of it package.  So the easiest thing I could think of was attempt to make my known nut free bars.
I have tried to make muesli bars once or twice before, not with great success, but each time I was using maple syrup as the sweetener/binder, and it never seemed thick enough and the bars would crumble, but seeing as these bad boys aren't for my delicate tummy, I could use Honey and this seems to have made a world of difference. I'm not ready to give up on the maple syrup dream just yet so I'll still be working on that!

What you need...

• 1/2 cup Honey
• 120 grams of butter or Nuttelex for a dairy free option
• 1 and 1/2 cups of Rolled oats
• 1 cup of rice bubbles
• 1/4 cup dried coconut
• 3/4 cup dried fruit, our favourite is sultanas

How you do it...

• Grease a baking tin, I like to use a square 8"x 8" cake tin and pre-heat your oven to 180º C 
• In a small saucepan over a low to medium heat melt the honey and butter together, once it is melted let it simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredient  
• Carefully pour the honey mixture into the dry mix and using a wooden spoon combine it well
• Tip the mixture into the tin and press it down firmly.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
• Let it completely cool in the tin and then place it in the fridge over night or are at least 4 hours, so it has time to set really well.
• Cut it up into muesli bar sizes and sort them in your fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days.