Rice Krispie Rebel

I still love Rice Krispie treats. As we grow older our taste buds evolve, gradually adapting to accept dishes more complex than hot dogs, toast and buttered noodles. As adults we are expected to desire exotic spices and unpronounceable names, not to mention strange colors that would send any child running to far away. And while I am happy to stray from the plain peanut butter sandwiches every day in elementary school, sometimes all I really want is a simple snack.

Few desserts personify American childhood better than Rice Krispie treats for reasons that aren't too hard to see. First off, they require a whopping three ingredients that include cover the plain pallet of butter, rice cereal and marshmallow, aka sugar. One would be hard pressed to find someone over the age of three that didn't enjoy one or all the previously mentioned ingredients. Second is the ease of preparation; multiple bowls, measuring cups, and even the oven can sit idle on this one. A special trip to the store might not even be necessary.

It was late on a weeknight when the need for Rice Krispie treats came to me. I wanted to experiment slightly from the recipe that I had consumed at least a hundred times and counting so I headed to my pantry for inspiration. After much debating Honey Nut O's won out as my cereal replacement. They have the right shape and texture, not to mention the same nostalgic taste. Personally I like my bars to very sweet and chewy so I always modify the recipe slightly from what is on the box. In this case I used a 12oz bag of marshmallows and roughly 5 cups of cereal (vs. 10oz of marshmallows and 6 cups of cereal). Plus sprinkles, because honestly, sprinkles make everything better.

Overall I was really excited about how well they turned out, the honey taste from the cereal was subtle but a nice change . They were a bit heavier than traditional Rice Krispies which made them even easier to justify as breakfast, with a healthy banana and glass of milk of course. I dare you to test these out on the even the pickiest eater, but make sure you save one or two for yourself first.