Enjoy a taste of lunchbox nostalgia and make homemade Kudos bars! These chewy-crisp granola bars are dipped and drizzled with chocolate and topped with mini M&M'S for a copycat recipe that still hits the spot.
A few years into our marriage I had to break my husband’s heart and tell him that Kudos bars had been discontinued sometime within the last decade.
Fast forward to now with all this talk about having a 90s summer I could not get 90s food off my mind. Pizza bagels in the air fryer (and in the morning, evening, and suppertime), chocolate Rice Krispie treats, even a fancy Shirley Temple (still non-alcoholic but for adults!) were already crossed off my list, and next were homemade Kudos bars.
As I was thinking about it, I realized 11+ years ago as a new blogger I made an...interestingly-flavored granola bar that was sweet, had a crisp rice/oat blend, and cut into really clean slices. All traits of a Kudos bar.
So I fiddled with the ratio of cereal/oats, fine-tuned the syrup ingredients, omitted the nut butter (I know some flavors feature peanut butter, but I'm an M&M'S purist), and landed on dare I say copycat Kudos bars? They have the look and my taste memory tells me that they nail that signature crisp-chewy texture. The only thing more legit would have been to make them smaller. Sike!
That said, some notes: I found a picture of the original ingredients list and wanted to keep this Kudos bars recipe true to form, with minor adjustments. I went with honey in place of corn syrup, used coconut oil in place of vegetable oil to thin out the chocolate dip/drizzle, and switched the chocolate from milk to semi-sweet.
Recipe Ingredients
Oats: Old-fashioned, also known as rolled oats. I haven't made Kudos bars with quick oats so I'm not sure how they'd hold up. They're cut smaller, flakier, and I don't know if they'd bring the same level of chew.
Honey: In the amount called for you will be able to taste the honey. If you'd rather not, it can be replaced with light corn syrup for a more subtle flavor.
Chocolate: Chips or chunks are fine. Usually chopping up chocolate bars into chunks is my go-to when I want to ensure a smooth melt, but the inclusion of coconut oil here makes it a non-issue. While milk chocolate is the move if you're wanting to make copycat Kudos bars by the book, I swerved and went semi-sweet. All good.
Coconut oil: Just a little bit helps the chocolate melt smoothly and set up, allowing for an even and thin bottom coat and drizzle. Use refined coconut oil (not virgin) as it's totally flavorless.
How to Make Kudos Bars
- Step 1: Combine crisped rice cereal and oats in a heat-safe bowl.
- Step 2: Melt together the brown sugar, butter, honey, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Stir in the vanilla extract once the pan is off the heat.
- Step 4: Pour this hot mixture into the bowl with the cereal/oats and stir well to thoroughly combine.
- Step 5: Pour out granola bar mixture into a parchment-lined square pan. Press it into a dense, even layer.
- Step 6: Press mini M&M'S into the surface (don't squish them after they've warmed as they'll crack).
- Step 7: Let the slab cool completely before slicing into 12 bars. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, then dip the bottoms of each bar into it to coat. Place the bars on a sheet of parchment, then transfer the remaining melted chocolate to a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to drizzle the rest over top. Let the chocolate set completely before digging in.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- No fuss parchment paper - To be honest I usually can't be bothered to carefully snip and fold up a sheet of parchment paper so all of the corners lie flat in a square pan. To get around this you can crumple up the parchment really well before un-crumpling it and pressing it into the pan (it will be more amenable to holding its shape that way), or you can use various kitchen clips to hold the paper in place.
- Press without mess - If using your hands to press the bar mixture into the pan, try my favorite chocolate rice krispie treat trick and use a leftover butter wrapper, greasy side down, as a buffer to prevent sticky hands.
- Dipping bars in chocolate - For a super even dip, you'll want to use a large enough container that the bars can be dunked perfectly horizontal. I like to use a small-ish rectangular glass food storage container for this (pictured above).
- When to add M&M'S - Some M&M'S will come loose during the slicing. You can stick them back onto the drizzle when wet.
- Storage - Homemade Kudos bars should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container. They will harden in the fridge and turn crisp. If that happens to you, simply take them out of the fridge and they'll get their chew back once they come back up to temperature.
More Snack Bar Recipes
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Homemade Kudos Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups crisped rice cereal
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup honey or light corn syrup, or a blend
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons mini M&M'S
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Stir together crisped rice cereal and old-fashioned oats in a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Put this to the side for now.
- Add brown sugar, butter, honey, and salt to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir as the butter melts and the brown sugar begins to dissolve. Let the mixture come up to a simmer (little bubbles throughout the surface) and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring throughout, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the syrup is smooth and has thickened. It will become frothy and rise up some, so keep a close eye and don't use too small of a pan.
- Once the 3-5 minutes of simmering is up, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Immediately pour the thickened syrup into the bowl with the cereal/oats and stir well to coat everything evenly.
- Pour out the coated cereal/oats into the parchment-lined pan. Lightly grease the bottom of a flat, heavy-duty measuring cup and use it to compactly press the Kudos bar mixture into an even layer in the pan. It will be sticky (and warm), so if you'd rather use your hands, use the greasy side of a butter wrapper as a buffer to prevent a mess.
- After a few minutes, carefully press the mini M&M'S into the surface of the bars. Use care not to crush them as you press them in (they'll get a little melty if they do from the heat).
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely cooled and firm (do not store bars in the fridge - see below). If refrigerating for longer, let the bars sit out at room temperature to take the chill off before slicing. Once solidified, use a sharp knife to cut the slab into 12 bars. Trim the edges if you'd like an extra-precise look.
- Melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil in short 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring well after each increment, until totally smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a small container that can fit each bar dipped lengthwise. Dip the bottom of each bar into the melted chocolate until thoroughly coated, then place on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat for the whole batch.
- Scrape the remaining melted chocolate into a quart-sized plastic bag and snip the very corner off of one of the bottom sides. Pipe the chocolate into a drizzle pattern over top of each of the bars.
- Briefly pop the bars in the fridge until the chocolate fully solidifies before serving or storing (don't store them in the fridge long-term as they'll get full crunchy). Store homemade kudos bars in an air-tight container at room temperature with parchment paper between layers for up to a week.
Notes
- Honey vs. corn syrup: If using all honey, you will be able to taste it in the final product. If you'd prefer less/no honey flavor, replace some of the honey with light corn syrup or use all corn syrup instead.
- Some M&M'S will fall out when slicing. You can stick them back onto the chocolate drizzle when wet.
- These copycat Kudos bars will crisp up if stored in the refrigerator. If this happens, simply bring them out and they'll become crisp-chewy again once they come up to room temperature.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
Mimi says
These are excellent! Rich, crispy, and delicious. I had some challenges getting my m&m minis to stick at first but the chocolate ribbons hold them in place. Will be making again!
Alyssa says
I'm so happy you liked them, Mimi! Thanks for leaving a review.
Alexandra Rizvic says
I made this recipe today and they are delicious!! Definitely brings back memories!
Alyssa says
I'm happy they were a hit, Alexandra!