Delicious, Desserty Energy Squares

A chocolate-capped, nutrient-dense treat packed with hemp hearts and whole-grain cereal

You don’t have to be a long-time subscriber to know that I love almost any homemade snack that falls in the power-, protein-, energy bar category. There have been a few so far:

I love each of these for their own unique characteristics. But sometimes I find that they can be really intense, and even a bit challenging on the digestive system. So in this recipe, I wanted something that had all the good, seedy stuff (hemp hearts, chia, sesame) but also a lightening factor, to counteract that density that can be a hallmark of the category.

Enter puffed cereal grains, an underrated pantry item in my house (except for when I’m making snack mixes, like the ones that appear in Snacks for Dinner).

I’ve made today’s squares using puffed brown rice as well as Smart Bran cereal, a good one for upping the fiber (though unlike the puffed rice, there’s added sugar). Any puffed grain cereal will work — millet, amaranth, kamut; Arrowhead Mills and Nature’s Path are good options for no-sugar-added version — but if you use a much smaller cereal such as Smart Bran, go by weight rather than volume, since the size of the grain will change the volume measurement considerably.

When I made Sarah Copeland’s Chocolate Tahini Power Cups a few months ago I loved how they straddle the treat-healthy snack divide with that stunning chocolate cap, which also serves the function of helping holding everything in place. Such a clever way to level up a granola bar! I’ve borrowed that element, and added a shower of toasted sesame seeds.

They come together quickly, with no baking happening and mostly one bowl. Keep them on hand in the fridge for an afternoon pick-me-up during this seasonal shift — because loose and lazy summer days when you might be able to sneak in a nap are gone, and the fall frenzy is fully in effect. Or at least it is for me.

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Recipe Video: Seedy Chocolate & Hemp Heart Squares