Sweet, homebaked goods are the perfect accompaniment to a hot tea or coffee, but making the same recipes can get tiresome.
Switching up your afternoon snacks is easy with so many recipes out there, including from the likes of Mary Berry.
The iconic chef suggests making her fruity cereal bars for “eating on the go,” perhaps as a quick snack on a wintery walk.
Mary’s “foolproof” recipe combines a simple blend of flavours, such as fruit and coconut, with the earthy notes of oats and rice cereal.
These delicious cereal bars contain less than 10 ingredients and can be whipped up in minutes with minimal cooking required. All you need is two hours for the mixture to firm up in the fridge before the bars can be sliced and eaten.
While Mary acknowledges that her cereal bars “aren’t exactly low in sugar”, they can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.
Cereal bars often contain fibre from whole grains like oats, barley, and millet, which aid digestion and can keep you feeling full. Meanwhile, dried fruits like raisins and cranberries add soluble fibre, which can help slow digestion and support nutrient absorption.
The benefits don’t stop there. As far as home baking goes, this recipe is among the most simple sweet treats, branded “so easy to make” by Mary herself.
She added that they will be “very popular” among those you share with, so why not make two batches? If covered and chilled in the fridge, these bars can be made up to three days before you want to eat them.
Cereal bars recipe
Ingredients
200g/7oz butter softened
200g/7oz light muscovado sugar
100g/3½oz golden syrup
50g/1¾oz sunflower seeds
50g/1¾oz dried cranberries, chopped if large
100g/3½oz sultanas
50g/1¾oz desiccated coconut
100g/3½oz crisped rice cereal
150g/5½oz rolled oats
Method
Before making the cereal bars, first line a 23x30cm/9x12in traybake tin with cling film to ensure the bars are easy to lift out once set.
Add the butter, sugar, and golden syrup to a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted and well combined.
Pour the golden liquid mixture into a large bowl and stir in all the remaining ingredients until you have a coherent granola-like mixture.
Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl into the prepared tin and spread it into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Transfer to the fridge to chill, uncovered, for about two hours or until firm.
When the cereal bars are set, remove them from the traybake tin and cut them into 18 even-sized bars. Store the bars in a container until needed.
