No Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
2-1/2 cups vegan crispy rice cereal*
1 (16-ounce) jar peanut butter
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons vegan margarine; divided, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1. Crispy Rice Layer a. Stand Mixer Method: Place cereal, peanut butter, powdered sugar, 1/3 cup margarine, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Mix until thoroughly combined. b. By Hand Method: In a bowl, put cereal and powdered sugar. In a saucepan, put peanut butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until peanut butter is of an even consistency and easy to stir. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup margarine until melted, then stir in vanilla extract. Mix peanut butter mixture into cereal mixture.
2. By hand or with cookie scoop, rolls 2 tablespoons of mixture and form a ball. Slightly flatten ball and put on wire rack or plate. Repeat for remaining mixture.
3. Chocolate Layer: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons margarine, stirring constantly. When melted, spoon chocolate onto flattened balls and smooth with back of spoon.
4. Let sit for 30 minutes to set.
Don't worry if you think the balls are too small, they're extraordinarily rich. Larger than that would be unpleasantly too much.
* The success of this recipe is based on using vegan crispy rice cereal that is actually crispy, such as Erewhon's Crispy Brown Rice Original cereal.
Source of recipe: Modified from several unsatisfactory existing recipes.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Awesome-huge hit. Thanks so much. :)>>>
This is super-yummy. Super-rich. I keep them in the freezer and eat them frozen. Takes longer to chew, which makes me feel like i'm getting more dessert. WIN!
Oh, and I used Amish cocoa (their cocoa is the BOMB!, not all chalky and bitter like their Pennsylvania competition...), instead of chocolate chips. First time I used half baker's chocolate, half amish cocoa and yes, I used real butter. The icing got thick, but not firm. Today I used all Amish cocoa and 4 marshmellows and it setup much thicker/richer/quicker almost like fudge!! Oh and no vanilla, I don't do alcohol and the cheap imitation stuff isn't near the same, so I do without. Oh, and yes, I have made these twice in 1 week!!!
Very yummers! I have been cutting the sugar in half (who could possibly stomach that much sweet in one bite??), and have been smashing the puffed rice mixture into a glass pie plate, careful not to smush all of the puff, pop and crackle out of it. then i cover the whole thing with the fudge topping and bite my fingernails until the whole thing sets up enuf to cut into squares - about 7 minutes in the freezer....just did this about 30 muinutes ago and now am falling into a diabetic coma.....awesome!
Yummers! The recipe mentions the richness of this treat, and WOW....they are rich, but delicious. For my taste, I think I might make them a tad smaller next time so each one would be one small bite. Thanks for a great recipe! ;)b