TWIX Pistachio Granola Bar Pops

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. ‘Tis the season for summer road trips! This time of year is always bittersweet for us because Chewsy Kids take their annual road trip to Florida for their summer vacation. I will get LOTS of much needed sleep but Lord knows I will be missing my ‘pumpkin doodles’!

One of my favorite parts of preparing them to hit the road is packing their travel snacks. Their mama packs the best lunches and sends the best snacks! Not to toot my own horn but…TOOT-TOOT! I like to go to Walmart because I can pick up not only food for the road, but any last minute flip-flops, sunscreen, or activity books for their trip. I always like to pack sandwich wraps, and fruits like apples, or grapes that won’t make a mess in the car, but I like to pack them a little dessert too. The man child and I are suckers for Snickers, but this time I decided to go another way with their sweet treat. Apparently TWIX® is available now in bite-sized pieces of goodness! I loved their commercials from ‘back in the day,’ remember? Two for me and NONE for you!” That’s just how I feel about them too. Just when I thought TWIX® couldn’t get any better, BAM! Now I can #Eatmorebites of chocolatey, caramel, cookie deliciousness! Have you seen them? When I put this granola pops recipe together for #CollectiveBias, they were bars. My initial thought was that I can incorporate the already bite sized pieces in them and I don’t have to feel guilty about overloading the kids with candy knowing they will be confined to a car for hours. (Eating the rest of the bag by myself, uninterrupted during “me time” was just an added bonus.) Buckaroo suggested that we put them on sticks so the kids don’t make a mess in the car. Genius! You know that mess…All over your fingers when you dig into a TWIX®. (I just lick my fingers but I’m just sayin’…) I decided to wrap them individually so they will be easier to store and so they can share with their cousins when they get get to Florida. When you get ready to make this great on-the-go snack be sure to grab your coupon for your bites on Social Twist. Receive $1.00 off when you buy two 2.83 oz. or larger bags OR $3.00 off when you buy two 6 oz. or larger bags. On coupons.com you can also save $0.50 Off any two (2) MARS Brand Bites, 2oz. or larger. Includes TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel, MILKY WAY® & SNICKERS®. Click here for your offer.

TWIX® Pistachio Granola Pops Ingredients:
2 1/2 Quick Oats
1/2c. Shredded Coconut
1/2c. Pistachios, Shelled, Chopped
1/3c. Honey or Maple Syrup
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/4c. Light Brown Sugar
1/2c. TWIX® Bites Chopped Fine
Coarse Salt for Sprinkling
Cookie Sticks (You can find them on the baking aisle, or candy making aisle in craft store)
1. Preheat the oven to 350. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast oats, granola, and coconut until golden and fragrant. About 12 minutes.
2. In a bowl mix honey, melted butter and brown sugar, until combined. 3. Fold in toasted granola with a rubber spatula, and then TWIX. 4. Spoon granola mixture with a teaspoon into a mold (I used a biscuit cutter) on parchment paper. Press the mixture very firmly into the mold to your desired thickness.
**Note** If you make them too thick they will be too heavy for the cookie sticks. Repeat with the remaining granola. Don’t place them too close together because you will need room to insert the sticks.
5. Let the rounds chill in the refrigerator for one hour. 6. Remove from the refrigerator and insert the sticks into each granola round. They are not completely set so be gentle. They may slightly lose shape when putting the sticks in. They should be pliable yet firm enough for you to shape it back. Put the pops in the freezer for one hour.
7.Wrap individually in treat bags with ribbon and place in airtight container. If you don’t want to wrap them place in an airtight container with small squares of parchment paper between each one. They hold best in the refrigerator and still will be nice and chewy. ALTERNATE STEP #4 (To make granola bars): Firmly press the granola mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Let chill for 2 hours. Remove from the pan by lifting the parchment paper and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

M.W.A.H.,

Mandi

What fun plans do your kids have for the summer?