I love how quick and simple rice krispie treats are to make and enjoy. And while the standard recipe is great, they also allow for all manner of tweaks that are downright delicious and great ways to help bring them a little more complexity. For instance, this recipe brings peanut butter, maple syrup, miso pasta and dark chocolate with some flaked salt to the table in a way that will have you happy to host a last minute a bourbon tasting with these as treats for the event. They take all of 20 minutes to make and about the same amount of time to demolish with a group of great friends!
Avoid salted butter in this recipe since you will want the flavors of the miso and the sea salt to come through separately. If you only have large marshmallows, you can use those, although it will take nearly twice as long to melt them. I love the flavor of the bourbon vanilla bean paste I get from Trader Joe's, but vanilla extract will also do the trick. And if you don't have real maple syrup, skip it. No corn syrup substitutions for these bars.
In addition to the aforementioned bourbon tasting, these bars are also excellent to pack along on a beautiful hike through the woods to enjoy the autumn leaves, enjoy while sitting around a roaring bonfire with friends, as a treat after raking the leaves and winterizing your spaces, tucked into a lunch to be enjoyed … well, anywhere! You get the idea. However and wherever you enjoy these excellent cereal bars, I hope they inspire just how much you do not need to be a kid to make them again and again!
Chocolate-PB Miso Maple Cereal Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 6 cups puffed rice cereal
- 20 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the butter and peanut butter to a large pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter melt into the peanut butter. Reduce the heat to low. Add the mini marshmallows and maple syrup; stir until the marshmallows are melted, about 5 minutes. Add the white miso paste and vanilla bean paste; mix. Remove from the heat.
Mix in the cereal. Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly and packing it in tightly.
Melt the chocolate and immediately pour it over the bars in the pan. Sprinkle with the sea salt. Allow the bars to cool fully before slicing into bars. If you want to speed that process up, you can chill them for an hour or two in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
- Yields: 18-24 bars, depending on how you slice them
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time