Who doesn’t love Luna Bars, right? I would eat them everyday, but my family can’t. So I got to thinking — they’re really just rice krispies (TM) with a layer of chocolate or other creamy sticky sweet goodness. The sad thing is my allergy-sufferers can’t really enjoy them because these bars usually have stuff in them my people can’t/shouldn’t eat. Enter the DIY Luna Bar.

1/2 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 cup raw honey (can use less if you’re trying to cut down on sugar)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chocolate-flavored crispy rice cereal — I used EnviroKidz but you can use Erewhon if you want a purer product made in a completely allergen-free facility
2 tablespoons soy protein shake mix (use another type of protein powder if you can’t have soy)
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Kirkland’s)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
cooking spray, for your hands and for the pan

In a saucepan, combine almond butter, agave nectar, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Stir over low heat until runny (it will still be very thick). (You can microwave instead, if you like — we got rid of our microwave a few years ago.)
In a large bowl, combine cereal and soy protein shake mix or other protein powder. Stir in the almond butter mixture and fold-fold-fold until well-combined, using sprayed hands if need be to make sure everything is incorporated well.
In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together until smooth.

Line a small rectangular pan with parchment, making sure that it’s long enough so you’ve got it overhanging on both sides. I used one that’s roughly 5 x 7 as it’s the one that was most suited for this. If I had used a larger pan the bars would be too thin and I didn’t want that. So my bars came out thicker than I would have liked, but hey, who’s complaining. 😀

Spray pan and parchment with cooking spray, very lightly.
Pour in melted chocolate and spread evenly to edges. Pour in cereal mixture and press down with a spatula and/or your hands. Take a second piece of parchment or some waxed paper and put that on top. Press to smoosh everything just a bit even if you crush some of the cereal. Weigh down with a heavy something, like a marble mortar or a brick.

Chill in the fridge 30 minutes or so. Run a hot knife along edge of pan to loosen, and turn out onto a cutting board.

Cut into bars or squares, whichever you prefer. Ours didn’t turn out as “pretty” as we would like, but with all that chocolatey crunch, no one cared.

Prepare to be inundated with requests to make this again and again and again.