Hot Chocolate Cereal Treats
These cereal treats are extra gooey and taste just like hot chocolate! The itty bitty mallow bits peeking out really takes them over the top. They’re best if eaten the same day they’re made, but leftovers can stay fairly fresh for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter
- 3 ¾ cups (188g) miniature marshmallows
- 4 ½ cups (186g) Chocolate Toast Crunch cereal (see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (5g) mallow bits (itty bitty marshmallows)
Instructions
- Generously coat a 9”-square pan with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the miniature marshmallows, and stir constantly with a spatula until the marshmallows have melted. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the cereal. If the mixture begins to harden before the cereal is fully incorporated, return the pot over the lowest heat setting, and carefully stir until the cereal is coated with the melted marshmallows.
- Evenly spread the cereal into the prepared pan using a spatula coated in cooking spray or your hands coated in cooking spray. (Be careful; it’s hot!) Sprinkle the mallow bits on top, and gently press them into the cereal to make them stick. Wait for at least 1 hour or until after the cereal has cooled completely before slicing into 16 square bars.
Notes
IMPORTANT STEP 3 NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not press too firmly when putting the cereal mixture into the pan! The harder you press, the more you compact the cereal, and the harder it’ll be to bite into the treats.
CEREAL NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: It looks like Chocolate Toast Crunch has been discontinued since I developed this recipe. I haven’t gotten a chance to test this alternative yet, but I’m going to try substituting 4 ½ cups (185g) regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal + 4 tablespoons (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder to hopefully achieve a similar flavor and texture.
MALLOW BITS NOTE: These are different than mini marshmallows! They’re super tiny (likely smaller than your pinky nail) and dehydrated. I used these ones.
HOW TO STORE: Although best if eaten the same day they’re made, leftovers can stay fairly fresh for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
{low fat, low calorie, egg-free}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.