Chocolate

Behold: The Love Child of a Rice Krispie Treat and a Nestle Crunch Bar

"This is the best dessert you've made in months," my fiancé mumbles through a mouthful of chocolate. This is no small statement, considering that I bake at least four days a week, constantly make him test all manner of recipes from cakes to cookies. He rarely gives feedback, as he'll eat pretty much anything with butter and sugar in it. So when he pauses to give a comment, I know I've hit upon something worth revisiting.

Photo by Posie Harwood

These bars were borne of scarcity. I had a craving for a Rice Krispies-esque dessert: something sweet, crunchy, but also quick and no-bake. A cursory search of the pantry yielded no marshmallows, but I did have a box of crisp brown rice cereal. A longtime devotee of the hippie crispy treats recipe from Alanna, I figured I could improvise my way to something similar.

Cereal bars need a binder, which is typically achieved using marshmallows. Here, I've used tahini and bit of coconut oil (or butter will work) to hold the bars together. Peanut butter would work in place of the tahini, but I love the more subtle nuttiness that tahini adds. It's like a more sophisticated peanut butter cup, plus plenty of crunch!

Photo by Posie Harwood

There's a lot of dark chocolate in this recipe: It is not for the faint of heart. The texture falls somewhere in between that of a cereal bar and a candy bar, like the love child of a Rice Krispie treat and a Nestle Crunch bar.

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The cereal keeps the squares light and crispy, so you don't feel like you're eating a square of chocolate, although the flavor is just as rich and intense. If you prefer a slightly sweeter bar, feel free to use semisweet or milk chocolate in place of some of the dark chocolate. Since there are very few ingredients, I do recommend using the best chocolate you can get your hands on.

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Top Comment:
“I sometimes substitute a couple of ounces of the tahini for peanut butter if I’m making them for kids. Look great sprinkled with black sesame seeds! ”
— Louise K.
Comment

Keep in mind that these bars are very prone to getting melted and squidgy around the edges, so I store them in the freezer. It's best to eat them right away when you unwrap one.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • PP
    PP
  • Louise Kendall
    Louise Kendall
  • emily
    emily
  • Judy Sennesh
    Judy Sennesh
  • Cathi Odtohan
    Cathi Odtohan
I like warm homemade bread slathered with fresh raw milk butter, ice cream in all seasons, the smell of garlic in olive oil, and sugar snap peas fresh off the vine.

10 Comments

PP May 9, 2018
These are the best. A lot of my school staff and PTO members asked for the recipe after I made them for teacher appreciation week. Thank you Posie.
 
Louise K. May 7, 2018
These are fantastic, definitely an adult version! I make them on a regular basis. I sometimes substitute a couple of ounces of the tahini for peanut butter if I’m making them for kids. Look great sprinkled with black sesame seeds!
 
emily October 14, 2017
It would be great to have this recipe in grams instead of (as well as) ounces, for those of us outside the US. Thank you!
 
Judy S. October 14, 2017
I'm confused about the pan size. I make something similar (3 cups cereal, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup tahini) and it makes an 8x8 pan. Are these, done in a 9x13 pan, very thin?
 
Cathi O. May 4, 2017
I can't wait to try this because I have almost all of these things in my pantry!
 
Kathryn April 17, 2017
I am very keen to try this. It is an adults version of the Australian/NewZealand children's treat called chocolate crackles which use rice krispies, coconut oil and cocoa.
 
Sarah J. April 17, 2017
This is my ideal dessert. Making it as soon as Passover is over!
 
witloof April 17, 2017
Why don't you make them now and use matzo instead of the Rice Krispies?
 
Sarah J. April 17, 2017
Mostly because I don't eat tahini or sesame seeds during Passover. Otherwise, yes!
 
Hannah N. April 16, 2017
Feeling v v excited about these. Love all your stuff, lady.