Treat ‘yo self.
That is my favorite saying from my friend Sarena.
This weekend I (rice crispy) treated my self and my friends! My best friend’s favorite treat is the crispy variety. In honor of the holiday weekend, I decided to make her a batch. Of course, I couldn’t just follow a recipe… regular ‘ol rice crispy treats have been done before!
What I came up with was a chocolate and peanut butter crispy treat. While these will never be a health food, they are slightly cleaner than the treats of your youth (recipe at the bottom). Here are a few of the cuts/subs I made:
- Cut the amount of marshmallows and butter in half by using natural peanut butter
- Replaced the bit of butter with coconut butter
- Used brown rice crispy cereal rather than the usual snap, crackle, pop brand
One of my favorite things about these bars is that they aren’t as sticky-sweet as the traditional treats. Cutting back on the marshmallows really helps!
Before taking them to my friend’s house, I had to share then with a couple of my favorite people: Lee and Carol! We ran the Peachtree Road Race (the world’s largest 10K) together on July 4th. Clearly that deserved treats!
Lee and Carol both gave me the thumbs up, so I bought the concoction to the bestie’s house for dinner that evening. They received a stamp of approval there too – from 4 adults, a 2-year-old, and a couple of crumb-eating dogs.
Bonus: they paired really well with a certain impulse buy (thank you, Whole Foods):
Chocolate, Peanut Butter Banana Beer from Rogue. I figured it would be really good or repulsive. The taste was quite layered – chocolate up front, then a hint of peanut butter, and finally the banana came on the end. Surprisingly it wasn’t too sweet, but there is no way I could have drunk a bottle. We split tastes between 4 people – it was just the right “side” with the chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats.
As you might imagine, it was a pretty marvelous 4th of July. Head over to Katie’s link up to see what everyone else is smiling about today!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats (Lightened Up)
- 4 C marshmallows
- 2 T coconut butter
- 1/2 C crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 C brown rice crispies
Place marshmallows, coconut butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add cinnamon and vanilla, stirring to combine. (Note: if it is too thick, stir in almond milk 1T at a time.)
Quickly add rice crispies and stir to combine. Press mixture into an 11 x 13 pan.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
Remove from fridge and cut into squares to serve.
***
After a holiday weekend of eating out, I’m looking forward to more home cooked meals this week!
Did you run any races this weekend?
Are you a rice crispy treat fan? What fun flavor would you like to try?
These look and sound like boo bites that my wife makes. You are more than welcome to bring some tomorrow night.
Hey, the Peachtree Road Race? My spouse helped with the Kabul leg of that race last week. One of the guys he’s working with is from Atlanta and organized a whole race over there. Small world.
Oh cool! You guys should come down to ATL next year!!
That race looks like so much fun! It makes me want to run one again too. I had a little burn out after too many half-marathons, but I am intrigued to do a 10k or 5k now.
And the treats, oh yumm. We can’t buy those here, reason enough to give this recipe a try!!
I got really burned out too. This is the first time in over a year i’ve been interested in running, but it’s feeling really good.
Chocolate and peanut butter beer?! I have to find me some of that!
It’s good for carb-loading. 😉
Not a beer drinker but I want some of that- sounds like dessert in a bottle!
i really don’t like rice crispy cake cause of the marshmallows! I hate marshmallows! but i would be willing to give yours a try 😉
They definitely got a thumbs up from me! Now that beer, I’m not too sure about.
OH
the child loves rice krispie treats and Id never have thought about coconut butter.
Let me know if you try it! The 2 year old gave it his approval. 🙂
In college I lived with my cousin for a while and I made rice krispie treats at a minimum of once a week. I knew that recipe from memory – ok it’s not that hard but still. I want these now!
I don’t even want to think about what I ate every day in college… LOL!
I’ve never been a huge rice crispy treat fan…I’ll eat them, but they’re not usually my first choice. Although, adding chocolate and peanut butter may be enough to change my mind!
oh my gosh my husband LOVES rice krispy treats (and peanut butter) – i’m totally making this for him!
Awesome!!! Let me know how he likes them. 🙂
NOMS!
I think you already know my love for rice crispy treats!
i like pb and coconut butter better than marshmallow anyway! and i love sarena’s quote. she’s genius. Like you. <3
Me too! As evidenced by my addiction your Reeses balls. 🙂 YOU are a genius.
RICE CRISPY TREATS used to be dispensed from my pockets and SHOVED IN MY MOUTH whenever I felt the slightest bit of hunger… But then when I learned about my allergies, I nixed them. I do recall this one time in boarding school where the boys didn’t believe all of my allergies, so about 4 of them grabbed me and tackled me onto the ground basically in a sewer and tried to stick a rice crispy treat in my mouth. Talk about a different kind of hazing. Needless to say, I dated all of them – AHHH HA HA HA HA HA!!!
I’m convinced you need to write an autobiography.
I wonder if… Anyone would really be interested in my stint with bear wrestling.
Ummmm… yes. Please.
Some day I’d love to run Peachtree (or walk, jog, or whatever you have to do when there are like a million runners. The recipe looks good. Assuming that vegetarian marshmallows melt the same, I may just have to try it! One of the treats that I miss having occasionally.
You should! With your race time, you’d start in an eariler wave so you can avoid the thick of the crowd. 😉
These rice krispie treats look good!! My fave ones are the PB/chocolate ones. 🙂
I’m glad to hear that the Rogue beer was good! I’d almost gotten it at World Market last week, but we put it back since like you said, it could be really good, or repulsive. I’ll have to pick one up & give it a try. Thanks!
It’s worth a try! Just make sure you have people to share with. Or bake some bread with it!
The rice crispie treats sound amazing! The beer… Not so much! What a strange flavor.
Those rice crispies treats look DIVINE.
xx Kait
YUM! I love that you made a chocolate version :). I need to track down some vegan marshmallows and make these!
Sarena has a way with words, doesn’t she? 🙂
I love Rice Krispie treats- and these actually sound a lot better than the regular ol’ ones. You really can’t go wrong with PB and chocolate, right? I’d love to try these with other cereals too (like puffed kamut or cheerios)… or PRETZELS!!!
I have mixed opinions about that beer. I didn’t drink much of it- but I heard that the other kind (the maple bacon) is HORRIBLE. That’s too bad- because the maple bacon combo usually works!
I wanted to go them with flakes but the best friend wanted traditional. Bah. What about PB Cheerios AND pretzels???
The guy at Whole Foods said the same about the maple-bacon, but did day it made wonderful pancakes.
I need to find these brown rice krispies, Ive seen so many recipes using them lately! They look so good.
congrats on the run 🙂 these look soooo goood.
Thank you! They weren’t too shabby. 😉
rice crispy treat fan — oh yes we are!! love them
many years ago our sisters and us would go to disney world and treat ourselves to their rice crispy treats, we would each get one to ourselves, and these are full blown huge rice crispy treats. we would be a on sugar high for hours. we loved it though.
miss it, but our stomachs can’t handle that at the moment. maybe one day 😉
HUGS
I remember those!!! Lawd, it’s been years… I don’t know how I ingested all that sugar. LOL!
FUN for you!!!! AND yes, I treat myself so love the first saying!!!!
A GREAT recipe. Ya want my address??? 😉 OK, will wait for a meet up – they may not survive the mail in this heat!!!
We MUST do a met up. I think I’ll bring cookies for you. 😉
That beer would make The Hubs cringe. (He the beer purist!) 🙂 But we would both love this treats (and I would love the beer btw!)
LOL! I’m a beer adventurer. 🙂
My blog is in danger of becoming 80% rice crispy treat recipes, so I approve this post.
If it’s Hannah approved, it must be right.
MMMM! I love this lightened up version! I used to be such a rice krispy treat junkie and I’ve stopped making them to avoid indulging in a bit too much. This recipe will definitely come in handy, but I’ll be sure to share. 😉
Thanks! That’s what I do too – I make sweets when I know I have unsuspecting friends to pawn them off on. 😉
so I just got peanut flour for the first time and immediately thought of you. I need to start going through all your recipes and find some good ways to use it.
Yesssss! I’m posting a recipe tomorrow that uses it. It’s addicting. Consider yourself warned. 😉
I don’t like marshmallows anyway, so these look amazing!!
Oh man, those treats look SOOOO good! I’ve been wanting rice crispie treats for awhile and now I won’t feel as guilty if I make your version 🙂 I might have to try almond butter instead, since the only peanut butter in the house is for the dog! Haha
They would be great withalmond butter! Or cashew butter (though that would be pricey… 😉 ).
I’m so sad I didn’t get to hang out with you guys this weekend, but I’m glad you had a great time at the race. I still have yet to run it since we’re always out of town, but if these treats are a bonus consider next years plans cancelled!
I’m sad we missed you too! Margaritas soon???
I think my favorite weekend treat was the cheese plate at dinner on Saturday – at the amazing restaurant YOU choose!! But I’m really excited about some good, clean, homecooked meals (finally) this week!
Yay!!! Not the wine though?! 😉
I’m so excited to see you again soon!!!
Gorgeous chocolatey nutty treats 😀
Cheers
CCU
That is the strangest flavor beer I’ve ever heard of! How unique!
I’m kind of surprised you haven’t tried it before me! 😉
YUM! I was thinking of making some PB rice krispies so perfect timing! I will definitely be making these in the near future. Thanks!
Awesome!!! Please let me know how you like them! 🙂