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1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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2
Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.
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3
Place rice cereal, oats, almonds, wheat germ, coconut, and flax seed meal on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with your hands to combine, and spread in an even layer.
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4
Bake, stirring halfway through, until almonds are light golden brown, about 12 minutes.
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5
Transfer to a wire rack.
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6
Place rice syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
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7
Stir until mixture is combined and brown sugar has dissolved.
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8
Remove from heat, immediately add cereal mixture, and stir until combined.
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9
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan and, using a spoon, spread it evenly, pushing it into the corners.
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10
When the mixture is cool enough to handle but is still warm, evenly and firmly press it into the pan with your hands.
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11
Sprinkle with chocolate chips and place in the oven.
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12
Bake until the chips start to melt, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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13
Remove from the oven and, using a table knife or offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer.
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14
Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
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15
Remove the nutty oat slab from the pan (you may need to run a knife around the perimeter to loosen it).
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16
Cut it in half to form two rectangles, then cut each rectangle widthwise into 5 bars to form 10 bars total.
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17
Wrap each bar in plastic wrap.
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18
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks; let frozen bars come to room temperature before eating.
