The result is a bar that is super crunchy, bursting with caramel, wrapped in dark chocolate, and packed with protein (5 grams per small bar, which is 2 ½ times its original and much larger predecessor). However, because the flax cereal is so crunchy and caramel candies are so chewy, the combination formed what I now lovingly refer to as 'star rock bars' instead of 'star crunch bars.'įor my third and final go at it I used a caramel sauce that is thick and dense at room temperature and nearly solid when refrigerated, and something magical happened: it worked! I'm still thanking my lucky star crunch bars for this one.

I went through an entire bag of quinoa, gobs of coconut oil, and two alerts from the smoke detector before coming to the conclusion that quinoa is probably not a grain that should be 'puffed.' It's too tiny and delicate to withstand the high heat needed to 'puff' something.įor my second attempt, I decided on a high-protein puffed flax cereal combined with melted caramel candies. I initially set out to make a high-protein knockoff star crunch bar by making homemade puffed quinoa. I'm happy to say that I didn't give up on this recipe, but I was very close to throwing in the towel upon realizing that I had turned two rounds of perfectly good ingredients into varying levels of inedible. What is the proper saying if you don't succeed at your first or second go at it? If at first or second you don't succeed, it might be time to give up.? Note that although some of these bars do not use 'gluten-free' on their labels, they do list all ingredients and disclose whether they contain any of the top 8 allergens. Stop stirring and simmer until syrup turns pale gold, like clover honey, roughly 8 minutes. Stir occasionally with a fork until sugar dissolves and syrup is bubbling hard, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the salad to taste.What is that saying? I f at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Weve had more than a few requests for a handy list of top candy bars that are gluten-free. Combine water, sugar, and salt in a 3-quart stainless steel saucier over medium-high heat.Combine all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.Look at the recipe card below for more detailed instructions. Preparing mandarin salad is simple! You’ll have a mouthwatering bowl of goodness in no time by following these steps.

Go nutless: Can’t eat nuts? Try crispy fried onions, toasted coconut flakes, or wonton strips.

Protein power: Make your salad more filling by adding grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, or shredded chicken.

Citrus switch: Use different citrus fruits like grapefruit or blood oranges instead of mandarin oranges.Veggie overload: Get creative and add more veggies to your salad, like bell peppers, sugar snap peas, or thinly sliced radishes. In a never ending effort to appeal to children, breakfast food companies have been adding more sugar and more artifical colors to the broad spectrum of 'froot' flavored foods.Lettuce swap: Instead of using iceberg lettuce, give romaine lettuce or napa cabbage a try. A soft, chewy cookie topped with caramel and crispy rice and dipped in a chocolatey coating.Looking to mix things up with your Asian salad with mandarin oranges? Here are five tasty variations to try:

Do star crunch have peanuts