Taste Test: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

I couldn't find a picture of these online anywhere or the recipe. So, I decided to type it up for you. It came from the mini Taste of Home magazines I get in addition to the bigger, full editions.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

8 cups of chocolate crisp puffed rice cereal

1/4 cup unsalted butter

10 ounces of miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

Coat a 9-in square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium.

Add marshmallows, peanut butter, and salt and cook, stirring, until mixture is melted, about 3 mins.

Remove from heat and stir into cereal until combined.

Let mixture cool slightly, 4 minutes (mixture should still be pliable)

Then, stir in chocolate chips and peanuts.

With spatula, press into pan.

Let stand at room temperature until set, about 20 minutes.

Lift from pan and cut into 12 bars. Store in air-tight container.

The picture in the magazine made these look like homemade Chewy bars, which I occasionally like to take for breakfast. I figured if I could make my own, they might be a little better for me and save some money. While these tasted good, they were nothing like Chewy bars. They were more like peanut butter rice krispy treats. I used regular rice krispy treats to make them, not chocolate. This recipe also made a lot. It was overflowing out of my square pan, which meant they were really thick bars. I ate about half of one and then let our youth boys small group take over. 

They're quick and easy. They make a lot. It's a good sweet dessert, but not something you would want to make a habit of snacking on. Next time, I'll probably leave out the chocolate chips and nuts and just have regular peanut butter rice krispy treats. 

Rating 6 out of 10