PB CARA-SEL CRISPERS
Not long ago, when I needed an easily shareable dessert for a community dinner, I found myself browsing Sarah Kieffer’s wonderful book, 100 Cookies.
The Scotcharoos, what she calls “essentially an over-the-top Rice Krispy bar,” caught my eye, so I decided to make them… but with a few tweaks, of course.
I doubled down on the peanut butter flavor by swapping peanut butter chips for the original butterscotch chips and, because I’m me, replaced the dairy and sweetener with Cara-Sel Salted Caramel Sauce.
The bars disappeared from the dessert table in the blink of an eye, and I had many requests for the recipe.
While that was just my first run at making what I now call PB Cara-Sel Crispers, it was clear that I was on to something. Fast-forward to the present day, and after a few changes from the first go, I have made these countless times, and always to rave reviews.
This is exciting for a few reasons. First, I have found that this is an incredibly flexible recipe, and perhaps most excitingly, these treats truly couldn’t be easier to put together.
PB CARA-SEL CRISPERS
This recipe is adapted from the Scotcharoos in Sarah Kieffer’s amazing book, 100 Cookies. My version is wonderfully forgiving, so I encourage you to follow your heart. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure recipe.
You can use chopped white chocolate instead of peanut butter chips, but if you do, use a bar of white chocolate rather than chips, since they don't melt as smoothly here. Any type of peanut butter will work, though I prefer the unsweetened, creamy versions of Jif or Skippy. For the topping, use whatever chocolate you enjoy. If you'd like a thicker chocolate layer, simply use a bit more chocolate and increase the oil slightly. The flaky salt is optional but highly recommended. You can also make portions of this recipe in the microwave instead of on the stovetop—see the variation below.
Ingredients
4 cups (110g) crisp rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
½ cup (160g) Cara-Sel Salted Caramel Sauce
½ cup (85g) peanut butter chips, such as Reese’s PB Baking Chips, or white chocolate, such as Lindt (not chips!), chopped
½ cup (130g) peanut butter, any style
Heaping ⅔ cup (120g) chocolate chips of your choice: dark, bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate
2 teaspoons (10g) coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Flaky salt, for finishing (optional)
Instructions
Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling or a single large piece of parchment. The parchment will fit nicely into the corners when you press the cereal mixture down, so greasing is not needed.
Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
Measure Cara-Sel Salted Caramel Sauce into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbling.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chopped white chocolate or peanut butter chips to the saucepan. Stir until melted.
Add the peanut butter to the saucepan and stir until fully incorporated.
Pour the warm mixture into the cereal and mix with a rubber spatula until the cereal is fully coated.
Scoop cereal mixture into the parchment-lined pan and press it firmly until the top is even and smooth, taking care to press it into the corners. Helpful pressing tools include wax paper, butter wrappers, or a piece of the cereal bag (my personal favorite).
Set cereal mixture aside until completely cool. You can speed this up in the fridge or freezer if you are in a rush.
When the cereal mixture is cool, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil or shortening in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Melt together, stirring often to prevent scorching, until smooth.
Pour the chocolate over the cooled cereal mixture and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the entire mixture. If you have an offset spatula, this is its time to shine.
Set aside until the chocolate is cool and set. This step can also be sped up in the fridge or freezer, but if the crispers are too cold, they may crumble a bit when you cut them.
Once the chocolate is set, sprinkle the top with flaky salt, if using. Lift the crispers out of the pan by the parchment sling and, with a sharp knife, cut into whatever size pieces you like. I tend to go small, with 36 pieces per batch, because a little goes a long way. Of course, there's no wrong answer here—make them as big or as small as you like.
The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or more (as if they would last that long). However, if your kitchen is very warm like mine is in the summer, keep the container in the fridge.
Yield: 36 bite-sized bars
Microwave Variation: Make this into a one-bowl recipe by first warming the Cara-Sel Salted Caramel Sauce in a bowl large enough to fit the cereal. Stir the chopped white chocolate or peanut butter chips into the warm caramel until melted, then stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Pop the mixture back into the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it slightly before stirring in the cereal. Measure your cereal right into that bowl and proceed with the recipe. After pressing the mixture into the pan, give the bowl a good wash and dry before melting the chocolate and oil for the topping.