Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispies
I’m in a season of life when homemade sweets and treats are high priority and often requested, but the time I have to dedicate to them is dwindling. Never one to concede defeat, I’ve been collecting a repertoire of simple treats that can be pulled together in less than 15 minutes and popped in the fridge to stand at the ready for their time to shine. These crispy treats are almost too easy to make for how delicious and crowd pleasing they are. I created the recipe 3 weeks ago and have made three batches for our family and two batches to bring to friends, which means they are easier than easy. They would be perfect to bring to friends or as a treat for a gathering. If peanuts are an issue, you can substitute Sun butter instead to make them school friendly!
Ingredients:
¾ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 scoops collagen powder (optional)
4 cups rice cereal (we always use One Degree Organics!)
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter and maple syrup together. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine. While that’s melting, line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment. I like to use a square of parchment and scrunch it all up then flatten it out again. Then I cut in at the sides diagonally so they overlap at the corners. This is the easiest way to get it to lay flat in your pan! If you’re using collagen, add that to the pan of melted peanut butter/maple syrup and mix quickly. Put the rice cereal in a large bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture over top. Use a rubber spatula to stir, stir, stir until it’s all coated together. Plop the mixture into your lined pan and use your hands to press it evenly into the corners and middle of the pan. Kids love this job, especially if they get to lick fingers afterwards! Set it aside and melt the chocolate chips. We don’t have a microwave, so I set a heat proof bowl over a simmering sauce pan with an inch of water in it. I put the chocolate chips in the bowl resting over top of the pot with water and let the steam melt the chocolate chips while I go about other tasks. Pour the melted chocolate over top and smooth. Pop the pan in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes to harden. Use the parchment on the sides to pull it out of the pan and cut in squares.
