Crispy, crunchy, peanut buttery and topped with chocolate. No hydrogenated this or that. No artificial flavors or colors. What’s not to love? 

Recently, Jack and I have cut way back on the sugary treats. But we’re not crazy, we haven’t cut them completely out. We’ve been trying out a new eating style which is working really well. It’s not a fad diet. It’s simply mindful eating. Everyone knows it is healthy to eat a diet with lots of veggies, legumes and whole grains. We’ve been employing a strategy to eat a great variety of food at every meal with an emphasis on those healthy food groups. Jack’s goal has been to serve meals with at least seven different foods as the ingredients. It’s been a delicious experiment that has us feeling fueled up and satisfied.

Do sweets still fit in to this mindful eating plan? Absolutely! I have always enjoyed having something sweet at the end of dinner. I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of natural sweeteners as well as different portion sizes. Rocky Road fudge and Monster Cookie Freezer fudge were a couple of the first hits in the lineup. Aside from natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey and dates, I still used a tried and true pantry item – granulated sugar. As long as the portions are kept small, sweets will always be part of my repertoire.

One of our favorite candy bars has always been Butterfingers. We both love the flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter and especially love the crispy crunch that only Butterfingers have. In my quest to use up all the items in our pantry, I came across a recipe for homemade Butterfinger bars. What?!? How is possible to make that crispy crunch at home? I always thought that magic could only be created in a cauldron, or maybe a factory. 😉 Turns out, the recipe is quite simple. Katie over at Chocolate Covered Katie figured out the basics. I’ve adapted her recipe to be even simpler. No shaping bars or dipping technique needed. It’s a few minutes of stirring, some time chilling, a little bit of melting, and a moment of spreading melted chocolate and Voila! – best tasting Butterfinger bark you’ve ever made – guaranteed!

Better Than Butterfingers Bark

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 cups flake cereal (I used whole grain frosted flakes)
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease foil with butter. Set aside.
2. Combine honey and sugar in a small saucepan.
3. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil.
4. Boil for a minute while stirring continuously.
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter. It will look like a paste when it’s done.
6. Fold in flake cereal. Stir well to coat.
7. Turn mixture out onto the foil-lined baking sheet.
8. Press mixture until it is about 1/2 inch thick.
9. Place bark in freezer for 30 minutes.
10. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler.
11. Spread melted chocolate mixture over bark.
12. Place bark back in freezer to set.
13. Cut bark to portion as you like.

Recipe adapted from chocolatecoveredkatie.com