Anyone who grew up eating rice crispy cereal treats knows the nostalgic pleasure of these classic snacks — but insider tip: chocolate and pretzels make them even better. Think about it: Why eat ordinary rice crispy cereal bars when you could add chocolate- and caramel-dipped pretzels to the mix? Ideal as an after-school snack, a lunchbox dessert, a bite to grab and go on the weekends, or even as an everyday indulgence, rice crispy cereal treats appeal to kids of all ages, not to mention adults.
The addition of a special ingredient — chocolate- and caramel-dipped pretzels — only elevates their crowd-pleasing power. If you are looking for a quick and easy indulgence to make to wow the kids, this post is for you. Here’s a step-by-step look at how to make chocolate pretzel crispy cereal treats at home.
The Benefits of This Recipe
For most people, putting together rice cereal treats with chocolate and pretzels is a pretty easy sell. Who wouldn’t want rice cereal bars that are a little extra special? That said, if you want further convincing, here are some reasons to try making these sometime soon yourself:
- You only need a handful of ingredients.
- There’s no baking required.
- The resulting bars are classic and innovative.
- The salty-sweet flavor combination is hard to beat.
- Your kids may love them!
- You may love them!
- The process is easy and quick.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Customize the Classic
Combining the ooey-gooey pleasure of a rice cereal bar with the added twist of melted chocolate and chopped pretzels only sounds complicated. In fact, whipping up these no-bake bars is incredibly simple. Here is the list of ingredients you’ll need to gather:
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
- 6 Tablespoons Salted Butter (3/4 stick)
- 1 10-Ounce Bag Mini Marshmallows
- 3 Cups Crispy Rice Cereal
- 3 Cups Chopped Chocolate- and Caramel-Dipped Pretzels
- Sea Salt, for Sprinkling
The Method to Make Your Elevated Rice Cereal Bars
If you’ve ever made rice cereal bars before, this method may feel familiar. You’re basically melting butter with marshmallows, adding cereal, and pouring the whole mixture into a pan like usual. The key difference, compared to traditional bars, is that you also add an equal amount of chopped chocolate- and caramel-covered pretzels in with the rice cereal. This allows you to enhance the bars with chocolate and caramel that melts into the hot butter-marshmallow mixture, as well as with bits of salty pretzels.
Here are the steps to follow to create the decadent bars:
- Start by preparing a 9-inch, square baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil that overhangs all sides by an inch. Coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter and marshmallows together until melted and smooth. Stir consistently to mix well, about three minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat. Stir in cereal and pretzels until all is well combined.
- Spread mixture into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Sprinkle sea salt lightly all over the top.
- Set pan on a rack to cool completely.
- Once fully cooled, lift foil overhang to remove treats to a cutting board or other surface. Cut into bars. Serve immediately, or place bars in an airtight container to store.
It’s as simple as that — but the delight you and your family will experience when biting into these delicious desserts is anything but ordinary. Salty and sweet, gooey and crunchy, these bars are the best thing to happen to rice crispy cereal treats in a long time. Try them soon to see for yourself!
Author bio: Samantha Kowalczyk is Director of Product Development and Key Accounts for Mrs Prindables. She leads a team responsible for the creation of new product concepts, such as gourmet caramel apples, gifts, and confections. Kowalczyk joined Mrs Prindables in 2013 after completing her education in marketing. Her dedication to Mrs Prindables enabled her to progress to her current role.
