Are you ready to swoon? Recently I posted my recipe for homemade marshmallows and mentioned how much I love Rice Krispy treats. That’s not so great when you are a real food devotee like me. A traditional Rice Krispy Treat is not only made with the highly processed cereal, but highly processed marshmallows with high fructose corn syrup and all sorts of additives. (The butter is okay.)
Now that I’ve eliminated the junky marshmallows with my homemade version, I decided to make my favorite little treat…but step it up a little. And by “a little”, I mean out.of.this.WORLD.
I’ve switched out the classic cereal for a more “organic” version from the health food store, but I’m not claiming that it can be considered “healthy”. If you are using an all rice/gluten-free rice cereal, then this recipe can be considered gluten free. What makes this a “Dream Bar” instead of a plain, traditional crispy treat are these amazing alterations:
- Browned Butter
- A Layer of Peanut Butter Mousse
- A layer of Dark Chocolate Ganache
- A sprinkling of Sea Salt Crystals
Is your jaw dropped yet? If not, then maybe we shouldn’t be friends.
Just kidding! 😉
Here’s the Recipe…
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 5 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal (like this organic option)
- 1 batch of this vanilla marshmallow recipe (if making recipe fresh, stop when marshmallow is still in the mixer)
- For the Peanut Butter Mousse:
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup creamy salted peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) dark or semi-sweet chocolate
- 4 tablespoons butter
- kosher sea salt crystals
Instructions
- Begin by making the marshmallow mixture. If you are making the marshmallow recipe fresh, then don't transfer the mixture from the mixer to the pan- just transfer from the mixing bowl to the butter as directed below.
- For the crispy treats, heat the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot. Carefully watch the butter, stirring frequently, until the butter separates the the solid parts just begin to turn a golden color and remove from heat. (The butter will continue to cook after removing from heat and can burn easily.) Add the marshmallow mixture to the butter and stir into a gooey, sticky sauce. Carefully stir the rice cereal into the brown butter and marshmallow mixture until even incorporated, then transfer the mixture to a large, buttered baking sheet. Wet your hand with a little water and press the crispy treat mixture evenly into the pan. Place in the refrigerator to set while preparing the peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache.
- For the Peanut Butter Mousse, place all ingredients in a large bowl if you are using a handheld electric mixer, or in a stand-mixer bowl. Slowly mix the ingredients, starting at a low speed and working to a higher speed, until it is light and fluffy. Spread the peanut butter mousse evenly over the crispy treat mixture, then return to the refrigerator to chill while preparing the chocolate ganache.
- For the chocolate ganache, set up a double-boiling system by placing an inch of water in a small pan over low-medium heat with a medium glass or metal bowl set on top of the pan. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring often, until smooth and shiny. Spread the chocolate ganache evenly over the peanut butter mousse. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt crystals, then return the entire dish to the refrigerator to set for 1-2 hours. Slice the finished dish into large squares to serve.
