Christmas Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Squares

Remove the marshmallows from a Rice Krispie Treat and substitute it with melted chocolate and peanut butter for an even tastier treat! Prepared with Christmas-coloured cereal, these Christmas Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Squares are just as delicious as they look! Don’t forget the sprinkles; they make everything more fun and festive!

Who can resist the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? If you can, you’re a rare breed indeed! It has to be one of the most common and most loved sweet combinations in the world of confections, and I’m showing you how to combine the two of them in these Christmas Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Squares! If you a vegetarian who has not been able to enjoy regular Rice Krispie Treat Squares, this one is for you, because the marshmallows have been removed and replaced!

I think Rice Krispie Treats are the epitome of childhood happiness. Am I right? I can remember eating Rice Krispie Treats, or Rice Krispie Squares, as my mom would call them, ever since I was a little boy. A sense of nostalgia and the idea of something cute brought to life this version. I couldn’t be happier with how well these turned out and they are perfectly festive too!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the bars and squares recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifle Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. My third series this year is the second volume of my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas! You can find the first bars and squares series here! Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 BARS AND SQUARES OF CHRISTMAS – Volume 2

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the third of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas – Volume 2! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family.

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series! Even though this is the third series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE BASE:

• Rice Krispies Cereal – Just about everyone is familiar with this. Who could ever forget the craze of the snap, crackle, and pop figures from our childhood? I’m using the red and green holiday colours.
• Light Corn Syrup – There are a lot of misconceptions about corn syrup because one of them is bad for you and the other one is just liquid sugar extracted from corn. We are using the latter, which won’t hurt anyone in moderation.
• Sugar
• Peanut Butter – I have not tested this recipe with natural peanut butter.
• Vanilla Extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Peanut Butter
• Sprinkles
• Chopped Salted Peanuts – These are optional, but I love the crunch of the salted peanut bits in contrast to the crispiness of the rice cereal.

HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS PEANUT BUTTER RICE CEREAL SQUARES

FOR THE BASE:

Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Measure the light corn syrup, smooth peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla extract into a saucepan. Stir continuously over medium-low heat until the peanut butter is melted and all of the ingredients are well combined. (Do not heat this mixture or bring it to a boil. Melt and combine only and remove it from the heat immediately.) Measure the cereal into a mixing bowl and pour the melted peanut butter mixture over the cereal. Toss well with a rubber spatula until the cereal is well-coated. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to flatten the mixture to a level layer. Set aside.

FOR THE TOPPING:

Measure the milk chocolate chips and the peanut butter into a microwave-safe bowl. On half power, microwave the chips in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment until melted together and smooth. Spread the chocolate and peanut butter mixture evenly over the layer of cereal. Top with the sprinkles and chopped peanuts. Set aside to fully cool at room temperature for 2 hours before cutting into squares.

WHAT IS CORN SYRUP?

I’m not an expert on corn syrup, so I sourced this information from the Food Network. They write that corn syrup is made from corn. The glucose in the corn is extracted and then refined. That leaves behind a thick and gooey light golden syrup that is pure glucose. Corn syrup should not be confused with high fructose corn syrup. They are two very different things. The latter is a combination of both glucose and fructose, whereas grocery store corn syrup is just glucose.

The type of corn syrup you buy in grocery stores will dissolve well in liquids and doesn’t crystalize like many other sweeteners. It’s very often used in candy making and for keeping sweet sauces looking shiny. Most of the beautifully decorated cookies you eat at Christmastime will have corn syrup in the icing to keep them looking glossy. Some baked items use it to help with the consistency of the final product.

If you are 100% against using corn syrup, a quick internet search will suggest some alternatives that you can use. It is suggested that the best alternative is agave syrup. It’s neutral in flavour, so it would be a good choice. Honey is a close second choice and one that most of us are familiar with. Honey has a flavour to it though, so it will affect the overall outcome of your Christmas Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Squares. I have not tested this recipe with anything and I have only ever used the Crown brand. You can use white or golden corn syrup for this recipe.

LET’S TALK PEANUT BUTTER!

Before you are tempted to send me an email or a comment knocking my choice of peanut butter that is not natural and organic, hear me out! This recipe has not been tested with natural peanut butter. I repeat, this recipe has not been tested with natural peanut butter. To be honest, because natural peanut butter is very thin, I don’t think it will work. There, I said it. Now, if you go ahead and make this recipe using natural peanut butter and it turns out to be a big, wet mess, you cannot blame me.

John.e uses only natural peanut butter, but I do not. I do not like it at all. Yes, it’s healthier and better for me, but I’d rather not eat it at all if I have to choose the natural stuff. I grew up on Kraft or Jiffy peanut butter and it’s the only peanut butter I ever use.

For these Christmas Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Squares, you can use either smooth or chunky. I used smooth, because that’s usually what I have in my pantry. If you are completely against using non-natural peanut butter, as harsh as it may sound, this recipe is most certainly not for you.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

Most no-bake confections are made without the need to freeze them for long periods of time, but they can be frozen. For this recipe, I have tested whether or not they can be frozen, and they certainly can! Once they are completely firm, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  You can freeze these for up to three months.

If you plan to give previously frozen bars or squares as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!