Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crispy Treat

OH MY !!!

THESE ARE A MUST !!!
holiday or not...these are a HUGE hit!

crunchy, gooey

sweet, salty

THE ULTIMATE RICE CRISPY TREAT

(can be made gluten free)

PERFECT FOR COOKIE EXCHANGE, OFFICE PARTY AND HOLIDAY DESSERT TREAT TRAY.

the recipe can serve a crowd...you might even get 36 squares depending on how you cut them.  the squares can be more like bite size because they pack a flavor punch and just one bite is a mouthful.

i found these on pinterest and knew they would go directly to my "must try" board.

the original recipe comes from Debbie F. at Key Ingredient.  i'm sure these have been made many times over with all sorts of combinations, but i decided to go with a gluten free option.

it dawned on me that "rice" krispies are probably gluten free already, but i wasn't sure they were totally gluten free so i used chocolate crispies from Mother's...sorry i forgot the brand name, but it definitely stated "gluten free" on the box.

i threw some gluten free pretzels in as well to make up the full 7 cups.

NOTE...i am not gluten free, and i am not serving anyone with a severe allergy, so you will want to check all of your ingredients for your particular needs.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL CRISPY TREAT...GLUTEN FREE

adapted from Debbie F. at Key Ingredient

3 tablespoons of butter

10 0z bag of mini marshmallows

1 Tbsp of vanilla

6 cups of gluten free chocolate crispy cereal

1 cup gluten free pretzels, crushed to small pieces

14 oz bag of unwrapped caramel, i used Werthers

2 Tbsp water

1 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided,,,i used Jiff

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts for the top

NOTE...i threw a few whole peanuts into the rice crispy marshmallow mixture as well...

butter a 9 X 13 inch pan.  also butter the pot and utensils you will be using to melt the marshmallows

place 3 Tbsp. of butter and the marshmallows in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted.  when completely melted and smooth, stir in the vanilla.  turn off heat and stir in cereal until completely coated.  the mixture will be VERY sticky.  use buttered hands to press evenly into pan.  mixture should be firmly pressed into pan.  try to have the top even.  place in the fridge to chill.

in another sauce pan (or just quickly clean out the one you were using)...place the caramels and 2 Tbsp of water over low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth.  add 1 cup of peanut butter (i suggest store bought like Jiff, not fresh).  stir this mixture until fully incorporated and smooth.  pour the caramel/peanut butter mixture over the chilled rice crispy mixture in the pan.  get it into the corners and as even as possible.  place the pan back into the fridge.

clean your saucepan again and, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, stirring frequently so as not to scorch or "seize" the chocolate.  LOW HEAT.

when melted, add the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter, stirring until smooth.  pour this mixture over the chilled caramel layer, spreading to the edges in an even layer.  tap the pan a few times on the counter and give it a jiggle to even out the chocolate layer.  sprinkle on nuts if you choose to and place in the fridge to set for about an hour or until chocolate is firm to the touch.

cut into squares while still firm.

bars are easiest to cut while chilled,

BUT ARE BEST SERVED ROOM TEMPERATURE.