There’s really nothing I love more than a theme. I love to take the “norm” and dress it up for any holiday or occasion. You can imagine then, how much I would love a holiday like Halloween. Costumes, decorations, scary movies (the cheesy ones, not the really scary ones) and of course, cooking!
On the most sugar charged holiday of the year, I’m always looking for ways to reinvent recipes. I love to take childhood favorites, and give them a healthier twist. This year, I decided to make a healthier than version of rice crispy treats! The trouble maker in this recipe is the marshmallow, so I just needed a way to get those rice crispies to stick together, but in a different way.
The solution? Peanut butter! Nature’s glue some might say. (I don’t know who those people are, but just saying, it makes sense). By using peanut butter, I was able to still get the rice crispy treat feel, but without all of the added refined sugars and chemicals found in store bought marshmallows.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extra
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
- 3 cups of rice crispy or puffed rice cereal
- Optional- 1/3 cup chocolate chips for the topping + 1/2 tsp coconut oil
Recipe
- Line and 8 by 8 in baking dish with parchment paper and put aside.
- Pour the peanut butter into a medium pot, over medium heat.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and coconut oil to the peanut butter, and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Turn off the heat, add your rice crispies and stir until everything is coated.
- Pour the rice crispy mixture into your baking dish. Spread the rice crispies out until they have a flat top.
- In the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Use high heat for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each 15 second interval.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the rice crispies.
- Put the baking dish in the fridge for 30 minutes minimum. Once the rice crispies have set, and the chocolate has hardened, cut the treats into squares, and enjoy!
Note: Keep the rice crispy treats refrigerated until you are ready to eat them. They will last about a week in the fridge.
