These Healthy Crunch Bars only require three ingredients and hardly any preparation time at all! We use dark chocolate which is known to be a powerful source of antioxidants. Bonus — no need to stop by a specialty health food store– you can find everything at your local supermarket!
Healthy Crunch Bar Recipe
Remember this Rice Cake With Peanut Butter bonus recipe? Well, we’re back with rice cakes today and I can’t believe how good they are in this treat (snack? dessert?!).
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of a more nutritious crunch candy bar (a favorite candy of mine). But, I haven’t ever been convinced enough to seek out and purchase the specialty rice crisp cereals that are typically required in these recipes. So when I saw rice cakes being crumbled up to achieve the same effect (as expensive and hard-to-find cereal), I couldn’t wait to try it out!
These Healthy Crunch Bars are such a practical treat to make during the business of the week since they literally take less than 15 minutes to prepare. And they’re nothing short of addicting — especially right out of the fridge — yum!
Homemade Crunch Bar Ingredients
- Rice cakes: We’re looking for plain (or lightly salted), full-sized rice cakes here. The only two ingredients in these cakes are whole grain brown rice and salt. (That makes them great to use if you are cooking for someone with allergies or intolerances!)
- Dark chocolate: I am hooked on Lindt® dark chocolate with sea salt bars — so good! And since there is salt added to this chocolate, there is no need to add any extra to the Healthy Crunch Bars. Use whatever chocolate bar you like best, adding a pinch of salt if needed. Keep in mind: the better the quality of chocolate, the better the flavor will be overall.
- Coconut oil: A little coconut or vegetable oil thins the chocolate and helps it to go on the crumbled rice cake smoother. Plus, the bars have a better mouthfeel with the oil added in.
How To Make Homemade Crunch Bars
- Start with a parchment-paper-lined bread pan. This keeps the bars from sticking to the sides and not coming out nicely. Also, it keeps the mess to a minimum! Pretty much any size of bread pan works here.
- Microwave the chopped chocolate bar in a sturdy, heat-safe bowl instead of using plastic or melamine.
- Melt the chocolate slowly and stir it often. To avoid burning the chocolate, don’t rush the melting process. Microwave the chocolate in bursts of time, remembering that the chocolate is still melting even after you take it out of the microwave. Make sure to give the chocolate plenty of time to melt outside of the microwave as you stir.
- Use your hands to break apart the mixture (like you’d break apart peppermint bark). Not technically “bars” but the easiest way to be able to enjoy these even quicker! You can cut these into bars, but they crumble/break apart a bit (shown in video).
Variations
Healthy Crunch Bar Variations
- If you love salty-sweet flavors and the chocolate you are using isn’t salted, add a small sprinkle of sea salt flakes to the chocolate coating before it hardens.
- Try a different flavor of rice cake. Try chocolate rice cakes for a double chocolate crunch bar. And while I haven’t tried it, I imagine these caramel rice cakes would also be tasty.
- Make peanut butter crunch bars, by adding a spoonful (or two) of peanut butter to the melted chocolate before adding it to the rice cakes.
Storage
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Place hardened bark pieces in single layers, separated by wax or parchment paper.
Can you freeze ’em? Yes! Place the Healthy Crunch Bars on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes. Once fairly frozen, transfer to an airtight container or bag and return to the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. When thawed, the chocolate on top may look white/milky — they’re perfectly safe to eat, this is just the milk solids from the chocolate rising to the top.
More Nutritious Snacks:
- Healthy Banana Cake Recipe with no gluten or dairy
- Blueberry Energy Bites with dried blueberries
- Chewy Granola Bars with miniature chocolate chips
- Healthy Ice Cream made with sweet potatoes
- Overnight Oats With Chia Seeds only three ingredients!
Healthy Crunch Bars
Ingredients
- 2 full (regular-sized) plain rice cakes
- 1 (3.5 oz.) dark chocolate bar (with sea salt) coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, crumble rice cakes into small pieces with your hands.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring every 20 seconds until melted and smooth.
- Scrape all the melted chocolate over the broken rice cakes using a spatula. Mix well until all pieces are coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the bread pan and press into an even layer. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate until firm.
- Lift the bark out using the parchment overhang. Break into pieces with your hands or cut into bars with a sharp knife. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
- Rice cakes: Use plain or lightly salted, full-sized rice cakes made from whole grain brown rice and salt. They're great for those with allergies or intolerances.
- Dark chocolate: I love Lindt dark chocolate bars with sea salt—so good! Since the chocolate already has salt, there's no need to add extra. Use your favorite chocolate bar, adding a pinch of salt if needed. Remember, the better the quality of chocolate, the better the flavor.
- Coconut oil: A little coconut or vegetable oil helps thin the chocolate, making it easier to coat the crumbled rice cakes.
- Cutting bars: Use a sharp, hot knife to cut the bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it quickly, and make a cut. Repeat for each cut.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
