Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars

by Averie Sunshine on June 25, 2013

These bars are my heaven.

They’re everything I want in a bar. I had to hide them from myself.

There’s something about supremely chewy, thick, and dense cereal bars that I just go for. I always have.

They’re no-bake and come together in the microwave in less than 5 minutes. So fast and easy to make and no need to heat up the house with a hot oven.

They’re vegan and gluten-free. There’s no butter or flour, but you’d never guess it because they’re exceedingly buttery-tasting and rich.

There’s an abundance of peanut butter and chocolate. Always a win.

The chocolate layer stays softer, fudgier, and isn’t prone to cracking or setting up too hard, courtesy of a couple tablespoons of shortening.

It’s a little trick I’ve learned.

They remind me of my beloved Special K Bars, my grandma’s recipe, which I included it in my cookbook because I love them so much. That recipe makes a bigger pan and involves a bit of stovetop cooking, whereas just two minutes in the microwave is all you need here to melt together peanut butter and sugars.

The saucy mixture then drenches cereal in a sweet, brown sugary, caramel-vanilla heaven. I used tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract just to be sure it was noticeable.

The bars are loaded with chewy texture from the cereal and are soft, but they still hold their shape and don’t turn into a gooey mess.

They’re sort of a cousin to Rice Krispies Treats, replacing marshmallows with peanut butter. And you could likely use crushed Frosted Flakes or Corn Flakes. I have a Frosted Flakes Bar recipe in my cookbook because yes, I love cereal bars.

If you need a last minute dessert that takes just minutes to make, try these. Especially if you need them for an event where vegan or gluten-free options may be welcome.

Let’s pretend that because they’re vegan and gluten-free that they’re healthy and we can eat half the pan in a sitting.

I loved these. They’re one of my favorite bars I’ve made in 2013.

My husband also loved them. He’s sort of immune to all sweets and treats I make, but these were keepers for him, too.

The only person who didn’t go crazy with them was my 6 year old. She’s missing her two front teeth and chomping is difficult. She’s been enjoying No-Ice-Cream-Maker Funfetti Cake Batter Golden Oreo Ice Cream instead.

I proudly claim those chomp marks as my doing.

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These are my definition of the perfect bar. Soft, extra chewy, rich, dense, peanut buttery, smothered in chocolate with more peanut butter swirled in. There's no butter or flour used, and they're vegan and gluten-free. They-re no-bake and made in the microwave in minutes. If you need a quick and easy dessert that looks and tastes more complicated than it really is, I highly recommend these.

Yield: one 8-by-8-inch pan, 9 to 12 squares

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes, microwave

Total Time: 2 hours, for chilling

Bars
1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (use Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter)
1/2 cup light corn syrup (light colored, not lite)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or similar crispy rice cereal that's vegan/GF)
Chocolate Topping
1 1/2 heaping cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional but highly recommended to keep chocolate smooth; see below*
1/4 creamy peanut butter, melted

For the Bars - Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 heaping cup peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power.Stir in the vanilla.Stir in the cereal.Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.For the Chocolate Topping - In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, shortening, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt. *I highly recommend using shortening for many reasons. It helps the chocolate melt smoother and easier. It prevents the chocolate from setting up too quickly. It keeps the chocolate from cracking when you slice into the finished bars because the chocolate is fudgier and more forgiving than typical hardened chocolate.Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 10 to 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth.Pour chocolate over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or knife; set pan aside.Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 30 seconds. Stir peanut butter smooth.To create the marbled pattern, drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks.Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, "draw" 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. In essence you're dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the marbling.Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until chocolate layer is completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Take care all ingredients used are appropriate for your dietary needs, reading labels and selecting brands that are appropriate.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

by Averie Sunshine on June 17, 2013

I had never baked Reese’s Pieces into cookies until now.

Thank goodness I’ve made up for lost time.

I’m not sure how I managed to write my cookbook Peanut Butter Comfort, filled with over 100 recipes using peanut butter, and have 75+ peanut butter recipes on my site, but have never baked those smooth little discs into cookies.

I’ve used Reese’s cups, mini Reese’s cups, M&Ms, peanut butter M&M’s, and finally now Reese’s Pieces.

The Reese’s Pieces add a wonderful crackly texture to the soft, moist, tender cookies. I prefer my cookies on the underbaked side and these are soft, squishy perfection.

There’s a very slight bit of chewiness to the edges, but these are for soft-batch cookie fans. No crispy or crunchy cookies for me. Ever.

They’re loaded with Reese’s Pieces and there’s an abundance of oozing, melted chocolate chips in every bite.

I almost skipped the chocolate chips and opted to solely use Reese’s Pieces, but I’m glad I tossed in the chocolate chips, too. Cookies just aren’t the same without chocolate.

The peanut butter flavor is distinct and full-on. There’s a hefty amount in the dough and there’s all those Reese’s Pieces.

These cookies are made for those of us who really like the peanut butter in peanut butter cookies. With some recipes you have to wonder if it’s really there, or not. Not an issue here. Very peanut buttery.

They’re a snap to make and the dough comes together quickly and easily.

Use regular, storebought peanut butter. Old-fashioned Jif or Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter are my favorites for baking.

Homemade Peanut Butter or ‘natural’ varieties are playing with fire in cookie-baking.

Cookies made with them tend to spread, and I don’t have time to worry about a potential cookie flop or wasted ingredients, so I bake with what I know will give me success, every time.

Every recipe in my cookbook was tested with Jif because it’s universal and I know it works.

Chill the dough so your cookies bake up nice and thick. Warm dough equates to thinner, flatter cookies and I prefer thicker and puffier.

I use my cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, put the mounds on a plate, and refrigerate. When I’m ready to bake, I grab a half dozen and save the rest for later.

I always have plates of dough in the fridge. Cookie dough, bread dough. Somethings always ready and waiting.

Calling all peanut butter (and chocolate) lovers.

These are for you.

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The cookies are soft, moist, with irresistibly tender centers, a slight bit of chewiness to the edges, loaded with Reese's Pieces, and oozing, melted chocolate chips. They're packed with full-on peanut butter flavor and are the perfect choice for soft peanut butter cookie fanatics.

Yield: about 26-28 medium-small cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use homemade or natural peanut butter; use Jif, Skippy, or similar)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup Reese's Pieces
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.Add the Reese's Pieces, chocolate chips, and blend until just incorporated.Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds (I made 27). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes because cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark. They have slightly chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Adapted from Soft and Puffy Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies and Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Clusters

by Averie Sunshine on June 5, 2013

Sometimes no-bake cookies feel like cheating.

And if that’s how you look at it, I’m very happy to be called a cheater.

With the warmer weather approaching, I wanted something sweet that didn’t involve turning on the oven.

Additionally, I wanted something supremely easy and not at all fussy. These ridiculously easy little clusters fit the bill and are a 10 minute project.

They combine two of my favorite ingredients, white chocolate and peanut butter. When melted together, they make the most amazing sauce. Anything that’s coated with it automatically becomes phenomenal.

Both White Chocolate Buttery Waffles Snack Mix and White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow use melted white chocolate and peanut butter, and since I love those, I knew the clusters would be a win.

I used peanuts in them, which is usual for me. I love handfuls of peanuts on their own, and of course I love peanut butter, but usually am not fond of peanuts in desserts.They tend to be like hard rocks embedded in soft cookies.

However, here the peanuts add so much crunch, texture, and flavor. I love them.

While peanuts add a hearty crunch, Rice Krispies add lighter, softer crispiness and texture.

They act like little sponges in any kind of batter or recipe you don’t want to use flour in yet need something to take the edge off the sog-factor, such as in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars or in Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Miracle Cookies,  They’re the perfect solution.

The nuts and cereal are balanced by soft, squishy, puffy marshmallows. I love using marshmallows in bars because their fluffiness is a wonderful contrast to the crispier and crunchier nuts and cereal. Biting into a soft marshmallow coated in white chocolate and peanut butter is how I want to eat all marshmallows forever.

If you wanted to work in chopped pretzels, raisins, popcorn, diced peanut butter cups, other candy, or your general odd and ends, mix-and-match with what you have.

I loved these clusters and wish the pictures conveyed just how good they are, but they were exceedingly difficult to photograph. Lumpy, bumpy, light in color, shiny, small in size, and reflective. Fun times.

They’re one of those treats on the work-reward scale that is a 1 on work, 10 on reward. They remind of these pretzels for that reason. So easy, but exceedingly good, and addictive. Just one more.

They’re dense yet light, and the peanut butter-white chocolate has a melt-in-your mouth quality. They’re crispy and crunchy, yet soft and chewy.

The white chocolate is sweet, yet there’s hints of saltiness from the peanuts and peanut butter for a salty-and-sweet element. And unlike some treats where either white chocolate or peanut butter dominates, you get both loud and clear.

If no-bake is cheating, you can call me a cheater as much as you want.

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Melted white chocolate and peanut butter coat a mixture of crispy rice cereal, peanuts, and marshmallows for fast and easy cookie clusters. They're sweet with a touch of saltines, with a melt-in-your mouth quality. They're dense yet light, crispy, crunchy, chewy, and very addictive. I give them a 1 on work, 10 on reward. I wish all cookie recipes delivered those results.

Yield: 24 cookie clusters

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

one 1-pound package (16 ounces) vanilla Caniquik, coarsely chopped (white almond bark or white chocolate chips may be substituted)
heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural or homemade; use conventional Jif, Skippy, or similar)
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal or similar gluten-free crispy rice cereal (plus 1/4 cup cereal, only if necessary; see directions below*)
1 cup peanuts
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment or wax paper; set aside.In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine Candiquik, peanut butter, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt. Stop and stir. As necessary, heat in 15-second bursts until mixture can be stirred smooth. Be very careful not to overheat the mixture because white chocolate is notorious for scorching and seizing up.To the melted white chocolate-peanut butter mixture, add 1 cup cereal, peanuts, marshmallows, and stir to coat. Mixture will be runny and you want to keep it loose and not too cluttered with add-ins. But if your mixture is extremely runny and would benefit from extra bulk, add 1/4 cup cereal.* Adding a pinch of extra peanuts or marshmallows also works.Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or with a spoon, drop mounds onto prepared baking sheets (I made 24). Allow cookies to firm up for about 2 hours at room temperature, or expedite by placing trays in the refrigerator or freezer is you have the space.Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for at least 2 weeks, in the refrigerator for at least 1 month, or in the freezer for at least 6 months. Take care any ingredients used are appropriate for your dietary needs.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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