This may not be the most exciting recipe, but it’s what I made today and I am pretty happy with the results! In an effort to use up what was left of a giant box of Special K and a bag of marshmallows I’d bought for no particular reason, I substituted Special K for the Rice Krispies in Rice Krispies Treats and Special K Marshmallow Treats.
As mentioned, it’s not the most innovative thing in the world, but in the past the only Special K Bars I’d made were the ones with peanut butter and corn syrup. Finding out that Special K works well in regular marshmallow type bars was kind of a revelation. I’d thought about it for a while, but had never actually tried it.
For those of you wondering what the measurements are, here’s the recipe. I like them kind of stiff so I used about 6 cups of Special K, but for those of you who like a gooey bar, use a little less. My only complaint about these are that they don’t cut quite as neatly as Rice Krispies Treats.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 10.5 ounce bag of mini marshmallows
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups Special K
- Line a 9 inch square pan with nonstick foil. Alternatively, line with regular foil and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large (3 quart), preferably non-stick saucepan or a slightly larger pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When it's about halfway melted, add the salt and swirl it around.
- Add the marshmallows and stir over medium heat until they're about halfway melted, then reduce heat slightly and continue stirring until they are fully melted.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the cereal (it will seem like a lot) and stir until fully mixed, then press into the pan and let cool completely.
- Lift from pan and cut into squares.
If you like a gooey and less stiff bar, use 5 cups of cereal instead of 6.
I used chocolate krispy cereal to make a Halloween treat. Then I added candy corn on top of each bar. I tred to make it look like a Jack-o-lantern face but the pieces weren’t big enough to use enough of the candy corn’s to really be effective. Never-the-less, the color contrasts were quite Halloweeny.
I don’t think it needed the vanilla since this was chocolate cereal but I added it anyway. I added about a tablespoon more of butter and then about a half cup more of marshmallows since I really like the creamy version of bars best. It turned out great. I do have to admit though, my older adult tastes have gotten away from this kind of bar!
Perfect! I staring down the remains of 2 (why can’t they finish one before opening the other?) boxes of Special K. And just in time for sleepover round two. Thanks!
Oh, I have been trying to figure out something to make for the developmentally disabled adults I work with for Halloween. I have chocolate coco puff cereal and candy corn, so I think I’ll do Chocolate “rice krispy” treats for them. Thanks for the idea! LOL
I have part of a box of Special K, but it’s the kind with chocolate chunks added. I’m sure that would still work! 🙂 I also just recently bought some of the mallows with Halloween shapes, like ghosts, bats, pumpkins. That would make a nice gray colored crispy treat. I need to just go through my baking cupboards and make a crazy crispy treat because there seems to be lots of things to get rid of. Like part of a bag of the Birthday Cake Oreos that the kids don’t really like the taste of.
I love how you just found special k and other ingredients and you can right away find a yummy way to turn that into a dessert!
Martha, I got stuck in a long line at the grocery store and the lady next to me was buying those Special K chips. I asked her how they were and she said they were really, really, good and that she wanted to try all the flavors. I almost bought some today, then realized I didn’t need any chips.
I love the way you find uses for ingredients that are sitting around. I do the same thing – very little waste here. Speaking of Special K, today a co-worker shared some Special K Popcorn chips that taste like kettle corn. They’re really good & the calorie count is pretty reasonable – 120 calories for 28 chips. She said they’re in the cracker section.