Chocolate! Peanut Butter! Candy! Another throwback food for you all.😊 This is a supremely kid-friendly recipe, something I made when I was young, hailing from the classic Better Homes and Gardens “Kids Snacks” cookbook, published in 1985 (a very good year) and containing adorable gems such as Hay and Gravel bars and Apple Smiles. (Those are just apple slices for lips, with peanut butter gums and marshmallow teeth. You’re welcome). Suffice to say, this is not a book in regular rotation in my kitchen, but these bars make me happy, so every once in awhile I’ll crack it open just for them.

I grew up in the time before we really started paying attention to processed foods. My mom cooked dinner almost every night, but if I didn’t like what she was making, my default solution was to whip up a quick batch of neon-powdered mac and cheese. Once we were old enough to have after-school activities keeping us away from the dinner table, my brother and I would opt for frozen delights such as Hot Pockets or Bagel Bites. Some early baking memories involve gobs of Crisco, tubes of cinnamon rolls, and plenty of boxed cake mixes. My how things have changed.

The original recipe for these bars calls for ½ cup of corn syrup, another ingredient I barely touch these days. (Though I will concede that a small amount is sometimes necessary for toffee/candy). I set out to find a superior substitute, confident I would end up choosing something interesting, like molasses or agave. Well, after several tries and lots of taste testing (thank you David) I landed on…drum roll…brown sugar. Yup. After all that, the simplest option was the best one. So I don’t know that I actually made these any healthier after all. Maybe a little.

I used dark brown sugar, natural peanut butter, and semisweet chocolate chips. I think next time I will try bittersweet chocolate, because these are VERY sweet. You need the sugar (or syrup, etc) to help bind everything, but just be aware. I like to cut these into very small squares, that I can just pop in my mouth for a fun little bite.

Flip Flop Bars!

Recipe by Too Many SpoonsCourse: DessertCuisine: Candy

Servings

bars

Cost

Total time

minutes

A note on mixing in the cereal: be very gentle, but don’t stop until the cereal is fully coated.
Total time does not include the 2 hours resting time.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, divided
3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
fine sea salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups toasted rice cereal, divided
1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet or darker
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang as a handle for easy removal.
In a medium nonstick saucepot, melt 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp butter, and a pinch of sea salt over medium-low. Stir until it looks smooth, and the grains of sugar start to disappear. (You’re basically setting up the first step of a toffee, but not letting it come to a boil or thicken).
When smooth, add the peanut butter, then stir until everything is melted and incorporated.
Take off the heat, and carefully stir in 1 1/2 cups rice cereal. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to flatten the top.
In the same pot, melt the chocolate chips with the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp butter, and another pinch of salt. (You can wipe the pan out before this step if you want, but I don’t mind having a hint of peanut butter in the chocolate, so I just leave it). Stir the mixture gently until fully melted.
Take the pot off the heat, then add 1 tbsp canola oil to thin the mixture, stirring well to incorporate. Then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cereal, stirring gently to coat. Spread the mixture on top of the peanut butter layer in the pan, once again flattening the top with a spatula.
Let these set up for about 2 hours, or pop in the fridge to speed up the process, before cutting into small pieces.