Rice crispy treats are one of those things that just make me smile. Crispy, sugary and full of childhood memories I have to admit that the last time I ate one I was disappointed. I find that a lot of foods that I adored as a child just don’t live up to my adult palate. We have a version with salted brown butter that has been a staple in our dessert rotation for the last few years but I wanted to make a version that I didn’t have to feel guilty about and would still satisfy even my most intense sugar cravings. I’ve substituted brown rice cereal and pretzels for the standard rice krispies and used natural peanut butter and brown rice syrup in place of the marshmallows and butter. As I mentioned earlier this week , if I can get my boys to eat something that is healthy I know that I have a winner. I made these yesterday and there is only one left, so I will be making these again for snacks during the week. You could use honey instead of the brown rice syrup but it’s not as sticky so you may need to keep the bars refrigerated or just expect them to be a little crumbly.
Peanut butter pretzel crispy treats
Makes 12
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
- 3 cups crispy brown rice (not puffed) cereal
- 1 cup pretzel sticks, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (I like these on the salty side so feel free to reduce the amount of salt to suit your taste)
Method:
Line a 10 x 7 or 8×8 pan with parchment.
Place the cereal and pretzels in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan heat the peanut butter and brown rice syrup over medium heat and stir until well combined and slightly thickened about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt and pour over the cereal mixture. Toss well to combine and make sure to coat everything well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and flatten with the back of a spoon or use a piece or parchment and your hand to smooth the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, cut into squares and serve.
