Gluten-free Moose Bars (peanut butter rice crispy treats)

These gluten-free moose bars rank as one of my top favorite gluten-free desserts! They are almost as good as my favorite cookies and I even like them better than my favorite pie. Moose bars have the perfect combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and sweetness, plus that little added crunch from the rice crispy cereal. They are a favorite treat in my family and they even rank as my dad’s favorite homemade dessert! Which is great since they are a gluten-free dessert that I can make knowing the whole family will enjoy them. These gluten-free moose bars are guaranteed to be a hit with modern pioneers of all ages on the homestead!

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

As for being a pioneer recipe, I’d say these moose bars are more on the modern side than the pioneer side, but at least they are healthier for you and they are made using just a few simple ingredients.

Moose bars are similar to a rice crispy treat. I’m pretty sure the early pioneers never made rice crispy treats, but hey, someone had to create the recipe at some point! While I’ve never had an actual rice crispy treat before, I can say with confidence that I am perfectly happy with these moose bars as a substitute.

There are a few things about this moose bar recipe that makes it a nice modern pioneer recipe. For one, they are simple and no-bake. You only use the stove-top for a few minutes, which makes them a nice recipe to whip up wherever you are (as long as you have a pot and some heat)! My mom has brought ingredients down to Florida with us before so that we could make them for our grandparents in their Florida home.

Moose bars also require minimal dishes. A pot for the stove-top ingredients and a large mixing bowl to combine everything is all that’s needed to contain the ingredients! A few measuring cups and a spatula may be helpful too.

These gluten-free treats are also allergy-friendly! Moose bars are…

• gluten-free
• tree nut free
• dairy-free option
• soy free
• refined sugar free option
• corn free
• marshmallow free

For two other quick and easy no-bake bars that are hard to stay away from, check out these grain-free cereal bars or these gluten-free peanut butter protein bars!

What Are Moose Bars?

Good question! I don’t actually know where the name ‘moose bar’ came from. Maybe it’s because of their color, or their hardiness, or who knows why. All I know is that I like the name and the bars are tasty enough that I don’t care what they are called!

This recipe has been in my family since before I was born. The recipe came from dad’s side of the family (so maybe that explains his love for them) and has been used in my family since before I can remember. I do know that my mom would make a moose bar cake for Anna and I for our birthday when we were younger. Moose bars were the easiest option for her to make due to our allergy restrictions. And we loved them!

However, the original moose bar recipe wasn’t as healthy or allergy-friendly as this version is now. When the recipe came to my family, we just knew we had to make some adaptions so that we could enjoy these bars while still being conscious of our diet restrictions.

I make sure I only use gluten-free crispy brown rice cereal to keep these bars gluten-free. Using coconut sugar and honey makes these bars free from refined sugar as well, especially when you top them with Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips that don’t contain any cane sugar. For a dairy-free option, the butter in these bars can easily be swapped for coconut oil.

While these moose bars don’t fit into all of our diet restrictions (like grain-free) they are still a gluten-free dessert that we can enjoy on special occassions.

Perfect for Parties, Gifts, & More!

Well, I’ve already mentioned that these bars are a family favorite, even amoungst my extended family, but let me explain why.

While each family member probably has their own reason for why they like these moose bars, I could name a few key elements that make these bars so attractive to a wide variety of consumers:

Why You’ll Love Moose Bars….

• Peanut Butter– They contain peanut butter for the peanut butter lovers in the family (like me). If you like peanut butter as much as I do, then you will definitely want to check out this dairy-free peanut butter pie after making these moose bars!
• Chocolate– Moose bars are topped with a chocolate layer, so they satisfy the chocolate lovers in my family too. Need more chocolate? Check out this amazing grain-free moist chocolate cake recipe!
• Kid Friendly- They are like a rice cripsy treat, so the kids (or cousins) inevitably love them.
• Perfectly Sweet– They have just the right amount of sweetness without being overly sugary to appeal to all the different levels of sweet tooths.
• Allergy Friendly- Gluten-free moose bars are allergy friendly but tasty enough that even the family members who don’t have allergies still love them.

Of all the people who enjoy these moose bars, I make them for my dad the most. This is the dessert I make for him when he goes on fishing trips, hunting trips, for Father’s Day, for his birthday, or when he builds something for me (like my two very nice chicken coops!). I enjoy making these bars because they are fun to make and my dad loves them!

I also like making these moose bars for family gatherings, church events, or any time we are having company over and I need a reliable dessert that will feed a crowd. They are perfect to make as a sweet, edible gift or to surprise family members with a homemade treat! I have even cut these moose bars into different shapes using cookie cutters… like bunny shapes, deer shapes, or hearts!

Rice Crispy Bars Recipe Tips

Gluten-free moose bars are so easy to make, I’m not sure if I’m going to have very many recipe tips for you! I’ve made these bars so many times, I often do the recipe by memory. I don’t think I’ve had a batch turn out wrong either! Any way, here are a few prep tips that I could think of, along with some storing tips.

Recipe Tips:

• Dairy-free Option– Just use coconut oil or your favorite butter substitute instead of the butter.
• Peanut-free Idea– I have never made these bars with any kind of nut butter other than peanut butter, but I can imagine the only difference there would be is in the taste.
• Warm Honey– When heating the honey and sugar over the stove-top, try to avoid simmering or boiling the honey.
• Reduced Sugar Option- This recipe is pretty flexible, if you’re a little short on honey or want to cut back on the sugar, just substitute in more peanut butter!
• Small Batches– I have made half-batches and even quarter-batches of this recipe many times and they turn out perfect as well!
• Melting Chocolate Chips– When melting the chocolate chips for the topping, make sure you start with a dry pot and melt them over very low heat. Stir frequently to help the chips melt faster.
• Storing– These bars can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. When stored in the fridge they become a little firmer.
• Storage Time– As for storage length, my dad has kept them around in the fridge for over a week! They can also be frozen and unthawed just fine too.

The hardest part about making these no-bake moose bars is waiting for the chocolate to harden. It’s not so bad when the weather is cool, I just set them out on my porch and they harden within an hour. During the summer though, it requires a little more patience!

Alright, now for the super simple gluten-free moose bar recipe that only requires six simple ingredients and about 30 minutes of your time. A batch of these moose bars never seems to last long when the whole family is enjoying them!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Anthony’s organic coconut sugar
• Natures Path gluten-free rice crispy cereal
• Raw honey
• Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips 
• Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips
• Pascha chocolate chips
• Supplies: 9×13″ glass baking dish, stainless steel saucepan

Gluten-free moose bars are the perfect allergy-friendly dessert option or snack bar that the whole family will love! They are like a peanut butter and chocolate version of a rice crispy treat and you won’t even miss the marshmallows that are in traditional rice crispy treats. Go ahead and try these moose bars out on your dad or grandpa, I’m sure they will love them!

Feel free to check out the healthier ‘moose bar’ copy cat recipe called Grain-free Protein Peanut Butter Bars. They are almost as good as moose bars and make a wonderful snack. Or the grain-free version is just as good too, check out these Grain-free No-Bake Cereal Bars!

Also, don’t forget to join our modern pioneer community! We would love to share more heathy recipes with you as well the simple steps we take each week to live more sustainably and become self-sufficient. Become a modern pioneer with us!

by Alexa