I came across a recipe on Pinterest this weekend that I had to try.  Well, let’s face it, I actually just saw a photo I liked and clicked through until I found the recipe.  It IS Pinterest, after all.

I love things that are easy to make, use ingredients I can pronounce and are easy to substitute, and have at least some health benefits.  These little babies fit the bill on all levels.  They also just happen to be delicious.

The original recipe can be found on Smashed Peas and Carrots.  I’m sure the recipe would be fantastic as written. However, a combination of a lack of certain ingredients and a hatred by one of my children of those ingredients required some substitutions.  I WILL be trying these with the coconut though, and my son and I will eat them all.

I made a double batch because I have a sixteen year old boy.  ‘Nuff said.  As I mentioned, no coconut and I was short on flax seed by half.  I did have a box of Dulce de Leche Cheerios in the cupboard that everyone was underwhelmed by, so I put those through the food processor and threw them in.  I forgot that they’re lightly sweetened, so I should have cut back a bit on the honey.  They’re yummy, but a little sweet.

I ended up adding an additional 1/4 cup peanut butter because my mixture was a little too crumbly, but I think that was because the cereal crumbs were drier than the coconut and flax seed would have been. 

The instructions say to roll into balls, but I found I needed to squish them into balls.  I was afraid they wouldn’t hold together, but as long as I smooshed them, they kept their shape.  I think they would work as bars also.  I would smash them into a pan before refrigerating, then cut them into bars after they’re cold.

If you have time, scan through the comments following the recipe for some great ideas for substitutions.  I can’t wait to try these with some different ingredients.  Which could be today, since the ones I made yesterday are gone.  Already.