- Veggie Fun Kitchen
– 1 cup light Karo syrup – 1 cup granulated sugar – 1½ cups peanut butter see notes – 6 cups Crispy rice cereal see notes for vegan friendly ideas – 1 cup vegan chocolate chips see notes – 1 cup vegan butterscotch chips see notes on website
1. Butter (with vegan butter), a 9×13 baking pan. Measure out the rice cereal and peanut butter. Set aside. You are going to need to move fast once the sugar and corn syrup starts cooking and won't have time to measure them.
2. In a large heavy-duty pot, stir together the sugar and corn syrup. Heat on medium-high just until it ALMOST starts to BARELY boil. The important part is to dissolve the sugar and NOT to boil the mixture. In fact, boiling this sugar mixture will cause unpleasant hard treats that will break your teeth This should take 2-3 minutes once the mixture starts to heat. I have a gas stove and so it's almost immediate. An electric stovetop will naturally take long from start to finish.
3. As soon as the sugar has melted and you see signs of boiling around the edges, REMOVE FROM HEAT. Add the peanut butter and with a sturdy wooden spoon stir well and quickly till it melts.
4. Working quickly, stir in the rice cereal. You really will need to work quickly before the mixture gets hardened, making it impossible to stir in the cereal without mashing it.
5. Immediately turn into the prepared casserole dish. With the back of the spoon, pat down the best you can.
6. This will be very hot. As soon as it is bearable to touch, butter up your hands and smoosh down the best you can, pushing it to fill the corners and make an even top. You will have about one inch of clearance from the top of the cooked mixture to the top edge of the casserole dish.
7. Set aside while you prepare the topping. Add both flavors of chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave first in 2 one-minute increments, stirring well each time. If you still need to melt more after two minutes then microwave in ten-second increments, stirring after every time.
8. Pour the melted chocolate topping over the top of the still-warm treats. Spread evenly. While it is still warm and melty, I like to add sprinkles to the top. I have also added crushed peanuts.
9. Allow to cool for a couple of hours until the chocolate is no longer melty before cutting. I like to set mine in a cool part of the house. If you are impatient you can place in the refrigerator – but not for very long or they will harden too much to easily cut- just long enough for the chocolate to harden.
10. These tend to harden when exposed to air. After cutting the bars, make sure they are tightly wrapped.