Biscoff rice krispie treats are an upgrade to your favorite childhood treat with cookie butter blended into the marshmallow mixture and crunchy speculoos cookie pieces throughout.

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Apparently there are still people in my life that have never heard of Biscoff spread, aka Speculoos cookie butter, and it shocks me as it’s been a staple in my kitchen since 2011. It’s a food trend that has wavered over the years but it definitely has hung around enough that I thought it to be mainstream – evidently not.

I made these when friends came in town to visit Mother’s Day weekend (thank you for the distraction) and one of those friends is who I had to describe their flavor profile beyond “Biscoff” and “cookie butter”. They’re spiced but not just with cinnamon. From what I understand there is also nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of white pepper for that zing.

Thankfully you don’t need to know what Biscoff, or speculoos, or cookie butter is to enjoy these Biscoff rice krispie treats and the aforementioned friend devoured several of them. Similarly to my peanut butter version, there is cookie butter mixed into the melted marshmallow-butter mixture before blending in the puffed crispy rice cereal and chopped Biscoff cookies. For a little extra flavor and decoration I added a drizzle of cookie butter icing on top.

BISCOFF RICE KRISPIE TREATS

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Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

RICE TREATS

• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup speculoos cookie butter
• 6 cups puffed rice cereal
• 16 speculoos cookies, roughly chopped

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup speculoos cookie butter
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cookie butter. Fold in the cereal and chopped speculoos cookies until well combined and coated.
3. Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares*.
4. In a small heatproof bowl, place the cookie butter for the topping and heat in a microwave for 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar and whisk until blended together. Drizzle** on top of cut rice treats. Allow to set before serving, about 30 minutes. 

Notes

*You can also drizzle the topping before you cut them into squares. **Use a spoon, or a piping bag/zip-top bag with a corner snipped off for thinner/more precise lines.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Oreo Rice Crispy Treats.

Crushed vanilla wafers, vanilla pudding mix, and freeze dried banana powder set these banana pudding rice krispie treats apart from the rest.

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In case you weren’t aware, I am picky about banana pudding. Mostly that it should be vanilla pudding flavored with real banana, not banana flavored pudding. Doesn’t matter if you use boxed instant vanilla pudding with fresh banana slices, homemade vanilla pudding with fresh banana slices, or blend in caramelized bananas, as long as the banana is real and not just a flavoring we are good.

Even my banana pudding cookies used real bananas, albeit freeze dried and pulverized into a powder first but still real. So when I set out to make banana pudding rice krispie treats I decided to do the same. I almost caved and used banana flavored pudding because, as I learned from the first batch of my strawberry lemonade rice krispies, adding fresh fruit would not turn out well but then I remembered the magic of powdered freeze dried fruits.

Add some crushed vanilla wafers into the puffed rice cereal mixture, top with a drizzle of white chocolate and more vanilla wafer, and you’ve got yourself realistically flavored banana pudding rice krispie treats. Of course if you don’t mind banana flavoring or don’t want to deal pulverizing freeze dried bananas and use the banana flavored instant pudding packet instead, that’s your journey.

If you also feel so inclined, this would have probably been a great excuse to buy the mini vanilla wafers, and I considered it, but I decided to stick with the OGs. But they will likely disappear fast enough when I share them with my BBQ team down in Memphis this week that I will have to remake them just as an excuse to buy the minis.

Welcome to #BBQWeek where we celebrate all things barbecue related! From slow cooked pulled pork to grilled chicken, salsa and sides, and delicious pies there’s a recipe that’s perfect for your summer cookout parties.

Friday’s #BBQWeek Recipes

• Banana Pepper BBQ Ribs from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Crock Pot Baked Beans from Blogghetti
• Garlic Grilled Tomatoes from Blogghetti
• Green Bean and Potato Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Peach Glaze from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Italian Pasta Salad from Our Crafty Mom
• No Bake S’mores Pie from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Purple Margarita from Easy Recipes for One
• Strawberry Limeade from Art of Natural Living

BANANA PUDDING RICE KRISPIE TREATS

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 (10.5 oz.) bag marshmallows
• 1 (1.85 oz.) pack instant vanilla pudding mix*
• 2 oz. freeze dried bananas, processed into a powder (~1/4 cup)*
• 6 cups puffed rice cereal
• 40 vanilla wafers, divided (16 crushed and 24 whole)
• 2 oz. white chocolate/bark/candy coating, melted

Directions

1. Coat a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In large pot over low heat melt the butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the pudding and powdered bananas. Add cereal and crushed vanilla wafers, stirring until well coated.
3. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Using buttered spatula, waxed paper, or greased hands, press mixture evenly.
4. While the bars are cooling, melt the chocolate. Drizzle over cooled treats and top with whole vanilla wafers. Allow to solidify before cutting into squares.

Notes

*If you don't mind the artificial banana flavor, or don't want to deal with making banana powder, you can just use banana cream flavored instant pudding.

Source: Adapted from my Hot Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats.

What’s not to love about these Peanut Butter Oreo Rice Crispy Treats? As the name implies, the traditional recipe has peanut butter and chocolate sandwich cookies added to make them even more irresistible.

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I don’t know what it is, but rice crispy treats never fail. No matter how many other delicious desserts I make, rice crispy treats disappear the fastest. Is it nostalgia? Even when I change up the flavor profile they still vanish. Not that I am complaining – Making food for people is my love language.

A few weeks ago at a local bake sale, I had four different options: therapy brownies, sprinkle chocolate chip cookies, mojito sugar cookies, and snickerdoodle rice crispy treats. I will give you one guess as to which sold out first.

Last night I brought this peanut butter Oreo version to our neighborhood Friday HH, and sure enough out of 24 bars only 2 came home – mostly because I wanted to make sure my husband got to try them since he was unable to attend.

True, this is not the first time I’ve made a peanut butter rice crispy treat, far from it. I’ve made chocolate peanut butter, Elvis fluffernutter, white chocolate peanut butter cup, and even a version that looks like a buckeye. But I’ve never made one with Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies mixed in!

Literally all you have to do is add 1/2 cup peanut butter and somewhere around 16 chopped Oreos into the traditional recipe and viola, this hard-to-resist treat has been born. But maybe make a double batch if you want any for yourself – ha!

Even though my husband devoured the last two the moment I returned home with them last night, I could easily make another batch today, since it is #PBchocSat and you know I have to have a new treat for every Buckeye Football game!

PEANUT BUTTER OREO RICE CRISPY TREATS

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Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 cups puffed rice cereal
• 16 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter. Fold in the cereal and chopped Oreos until well combined and coated.
3. Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Source: Adapted from my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Crispy Treats.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

These chocolate frogs may not be bewitched to jump around, but they are crispy and delicious! The perfect treat for any Harry Potter fan or for Halloween.

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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No #HalloweenTreatsWeek is complete without some Harry Potter inspired treats! Especially because on Sundays (since early on in the pandemic) I read Harry Potter to my nephews in California.

I cannot recall for certain because they boys started reading them on their own, but I think we started on Book 2 Chamber of Secrets and now we are on Book 6 The Half Blood Prince. Only one left after this and I am not sure what we will do once it’s over. Maybe we can get them into Lord of the Rings next ;-).

I have lost count of how many time I have read these books (I wasn’t part of a winning HP trivia team for nothing). And this time around is bit weird because I am only reading half of it, as my dad and step mom read to them on Tuesdays.

If you’ve ever read these books, you know how many treats are sprinkled throughout the series. I actually virtually hosted a Harry Potter cookbook club years ago and recently shared a roundup of recipes perfect for Harry Potter’s birthday. But somehow I’ve yet to share one of the easier recipes, chocolate frogs!

Literally just temper dark chocolate, stir in puffed rice cereal, and pour into a frog mold. If you really want to go the extra mile, your can print out and fold Chocolate Frog Boxes and even Chocolate Frog Cards! When a coworker and I made these for a fundraiser/competition at work, we used the customizable templates and put other members of the department on them. Needless to say we won the competition!

Check out all of these great #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes for today

• Jack-O-Lantern Apple Slice Pops from Big Bear’s Wife
• Monster Eyeball Cupcakes from Semi Homemade Recipes
• Ghost Meringue Cookies from Jen Around the World
• Apple Cider Donut Whoopie Pies from Pint Sized Baker
• Graveyard Pudding Cups from Fresh April Flours
• Churro Cookies from Devour Dinner
• Halloween Monster Donuts from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Witches’ Brew Whiskey Sour from The Redhead Baker
• Witches Hat Cheese Ball from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
• Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Eat Move Make
• Layered Halloween Jello from from House of Nash Eats
• Mummy Wrapped Brie from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Mummy Cupcakes from The Flour Handprint
• Halloween Candy Cracker Toffee from Sweet ReciPEAs
• Old Fashioned Apple Fritters from It’s Shanaka
• Pumpkin Mint Patties from Sweet Beginnings
• Butterfinger Ice Cream (No-Churn) from Pastry Chef Online
• Chocolate Frogs from The Spiffy Cookie
• Halloween Cupcake Treat Board from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Skull Cake from Lemon Blossoms
• Halloween Brownie Pizza from Back To My Southern Roots
• Halloween Mini Bat Taco Cheeseballs from Savory Moments
• Ghostly Poptarts from An Affair from the Heart
• Deadly Dark Chocolate Layer Cake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Three years ago: Gluten-Free Chocolate Caramel Cake

Five years ago: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter & Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

Seven years ago: Pesto Chicken Pizza with Mascarpone, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Nine years ago: Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal

CHOCOLATE FROGS

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Yield: 8 servings Prep Time: 40 MInutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 oz. chopped dark chocolate

• 1/2 cup puffed rice cereal
• Frog candy mold

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a double boiler set over lightly simmering water. Stir frequently until melted. Alternatively, place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second internals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth.
2. Remove from heat and stir in puffed rice cereal until evenly distributed.
3. Fill each frog cavity with the chocolate mixture, lightly tapping the tray to expel any air bubbles.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until hardened. Pop out and enjoy!

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Welcome!!! It is almost Halloween which means it is time for this year’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipe and giveaway event!!

#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.

“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”

For the 4th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 28 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week!

Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media and look at the bottom of each post to see all of the Halloween recipes that we’re sharing!

Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals

41 Pieces Silicone Bakeware Set

3 Piece Halloween Silicone Spatula Set

Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan

Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsor to winner, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 11th – October 15th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 1 (ONE) prize pack and therefore we will have a total of 1 (ONE) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes. 

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! Giveaway is sponsored but I did not personally receive any complimentary products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Everyone’s favorite rice crispy treat turned into festive candy corn shapes perfect for Halloween!

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Happy (almost) Halloween!

Spooky Season is here and it is time for 2020’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event! #HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.

“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”

For the 3rd annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 30 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Not only is it a holiday all about candy and getting dressed up, but it lends itself to so many creative recipes! 

An iconic candy item for Halloween is candy corn. I HATE candy corn. But I find myself creating a recipes almost every year that honors these tasteless sugar triangles.

I’ve made candy corn cheesecake mousse, chocolate candy corn and creme cookies, and even added candy corn to my Halloween 7-layer bars so it seemed like it was time to make a rice crispy treat version. 

Rice crispy treats are wonderful, because they are so easily adaptable to any holiday. But with a little extra effort, instead of just making an orange, yellow, and white layered treat, I separated the colors into rings in 6-inch cake pans.

The end result are these cute little candy corn wedges that even this candy corn hater loved. 

Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media and take a look more spooky Halloween recipes from our #HalloweenTreatsWeek Bloggers today: 

Halloween Cookies & Bars:

• Cake Mix Monster Cookies from Big Bear’s Wife
• Candy Bar Cookies from Devour Dinner
• Oreo Mummy Cookies from Savory Experiments
• Easy Halloween Cake Mix Sprinkle Cookies from Family Around the Table
• Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars from House of Nash Eats
• Eye Love Chocolate Sugar Cookies from An Affair From the Heart
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars form Back To My Southern Roots

Halloween Cakes & Cupcakes:

• Bloody Broken Glass Red Velvet Cake from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks 
• Halloween Bats Oreo Cupcakes from Lemon Blossoms
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting from The Flour Handprint

Halloween Brownies:

• The Scream Brownies from West Via Midwest
• Halloween Monster Chocolate Cake Brownies from JZ Eats
• Halloween Marshmallow Brownies from Sweet Beginnings

Halloween Pies:

• Halloween Mini S’mores Pudding Pies from For the Love of Food
•  Jack Skellington Boo-berry Pie from Savory Moments

Halloween Breakfast:

• Halloween Smoothie Bowl from Fresh Coast Eats
• Halloween Pancakes from I Am A Honeybee
• Pumpkin Spice Donuts from Pastry Chef Online

Halloween Drinks:

• Bloody Hot Cocoa from It’s Shanaka

Chilled Halloween Treats:

• Pennywise Ice Cream Float from Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Wicked Witch Popsicles from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

No Bake Desserts:

• Muddy Buddy Halloween Snack Mix from Tastes of Homemade
• Candy Corn Rice Crispy Treats from The Spiffy Cookie
• Kid-Friendly Halloween Snack Board from Love and Confections
• Rice Krispie Treat Haunted Houses from Sweet ReciPEAS
• Ghostly Snack Mix from Fake Ginger
• Spooky Pretzel Rods from Take Two Tapas
• Halloween Candy Bark from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
•  Batty For Chocolate Dessert Cheese Ball from 4 Sons R Us  
•  Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Dip from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Plus, don’t forget that we have some great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsor and bloggers this year! Find out more and how to enter at the bottom of this post!

One year ago: Blackout Buckeyes (Double Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter)

Four years ago: RawSpiceBar Kit Giveaway

Five years ago: Chocolate Double Pumpkin Chip Cookies

Seven years ago: Flourless Buckeye Blossom Cookies

Eight years ago: Linzer Cookies

Nine years ago: Taco Bowls

CANDY CORN RICE CRISPY TREATS

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Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 MInutes 5 MInutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups (10.5 oz. bag) mini marshmallows
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cups puffed rice cereal, divided
• Food coloring (red and yellow)

Directions

1. Coat three 6-inch cake pans and three medium bowls with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In small pot over low heat melt the butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Quickly pour half into one of the greased bowls, 2/3 of what remains in the second bowl, and the remaining third into the third bowl. Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to larger one, yellow to the second largest, and keep the smallest amount plain. Add 3 cups of cereal to the orange, 2 cups to the yellow, and 1 cup to the white. Stir until well coated.
3. Working quickly with a buttered spatula or greased hands, divide orange mixture between the three cake pans, and create a "ring" around the inside edge of the cake pan. Repeat with the yellow and then place the white in the center.
4. Press mixture evenly and firmly. Cool completely before slicing into 8 wedges per pan and serving.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals

OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set

Prize #2 from Angie at BigBearsWife 

Ninja OP301 Foodi 9-in-1 Pressure, Slow Cooker, Air Fryer and More, with 6.5 Quart Capacity and 45 Recipe Book, and a High Gloss Finish

Prize #3 from Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar

Origami Owl Locket and Halloween Charms

Prize #4 from Kathy at Lemon Blossoms 

6 Quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Prize #5 from Terri at Our Good Life

Young Living’s Thieves Mints ($50 Value)

Pop a Thieves Mint into your mouth for cinnamint-fresh breath after meals. Made with naturally derived ingredients and free of artificial sweeteners, dyes, and preservatives, Thieves Mints are a choice you can feel good about. Created with Young Living’s Thieves essential oil blend, these mints deliver minty coolness with a hint of warm, sugar-free sweetness. Thieves Mints come in a conveniently sized container that is great to take on the go!!

Prize #6 from Julie  at Back To My Southern Roots

1 Copy of  – The Peanuts Family Cookbook: Delicious Dishes for Kids to Make with Their Favorite Grown-Ups

Prize #8 from Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS

1 Copy of her new cookbook “Holy Sweet! 60 Indulgent Recipes for Bigger, Better Desserts”

Prize #9 from Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

1 Copy of her cookbook, “Incredible One-Pot Cooking: Easy, Delicious Recipes for Exciting Meals Without the Mess”

Prize #10 from Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog

1 Copy of “Friends: The Official Cookbook”

Prize #11 from Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer from Take Two Tapas and Michele from West Via Midwest

ONE (1) $75 Amazon gift card

Prize #12 from Shanaka from It’s Shanaka

ONE (1) $25 Amazon gift card

Prize #13 from Ashley from Cheese Curd In Paradise

1 Copy of her cookbook, ” The Serial Killer Cookbook: True Crime Trivia and Disturbingly Delicious Last Meals from Death Row’s Most Infamous Killers and Murderers”

Prize #14 from Amy from House of Nash Eats

ONE (1) $100 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 5th – October 10th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 14 prizes and therefore we will have a total of 14 winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes. We would also love to give a huge thanks to our Halloween Treats Week bloggers because a lot of them also donated prizes for the giveaways, including:  Angie of BigBearsWife ,  Nicole of Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar, Kathy of Lemon Blossoms,  Terri of Our Good Life,  Julie of Back To My Southern Roots,  Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS, Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen, Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog, Michaela of An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer of Take Two Tapas , Michele of West Via Midwest, Shanaka of It’s Shanaka, Ashley of Cheese Curd In Paradise, and Amy from House of Nash Eats!

The favorite party snack puppy chow is not only mixed into these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, but they are coated like it too!

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Today was supposed to be the kick-off of the Ohio State Buckeyes football season playing again Illinois.

Of course I know there are far worse things that have come out of this pandemic (you know, like death and suffering), but that doesn’t take away from the fact that many local businesses take a hit when things like this are cancelled.

Hotels, bars, restaurants, merchandise – all the people who own such businesses that depend of football season for business are going to struggle even more than they are already. As someone involved in the local Columbus food scene, my heart has been in a constant state of worry for all my friends who own such businesses since March. 

In an effort to lighten the mood (and a successful IG poll), I have decided to continue on with my regularly scheduled Peanut Butter & Chocolate Saturdays #PBchocSat posts. I realize today is a Thursday, but since today should have been game day I am sticking to the original schedule. 

So I happily dug out my list of recipe ideas and found this baby ready and waiting right at the top – puppy chow cookies. A peanut butter chocolate chip cookie with actual puppy chow mixed in and then coated in the very same peanut butter-chocolate-powdered sugar mixture. 

Are these cookies a bit over the top? Possibly. Are they messy to make? Yes, especially if you are a spazz in the kitchen like me. But are they worth every bit of the excess and cleanup? You bet they are. And honestly I think these cookies are exactly what we all need right now. (Might be why my cake batter puppy chow is so popular. I also have a s’mores version!)

I will admit I was a bit upset when a local bakery beat me to the idea of these cookies, but thankfully mine are slightly different, mostly in the outward presentation. I swear I am not a copy cat! As if I could really compete with them anyway…

One last thing – do you call it puppy chow or muddy buddies? I think I have always called it puppy chow but of course I did my share of Google searching anyway.

Turns out the Ralston Purina Company is the original creator of Chex cereal and since they already referred to their pet food as “dog chow” and “cat chow” they called their cereal line “human chow”. But somehow that morphed into “puppy chow“. Fast forward to today and now General Mills owns Chex and sells pre-packaged “Muddy Buddies”. 

There, knowledge and a treat!

Two years ago: Mexican Brownies

Four years ago: No-Bake Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Pie

Six years ago: Flourless Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Eight years ago: Cake Batter Chocolate Bark

PUPPY CHOW COOKIES

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Yield: 3 dozen

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

PUPPY CHOW

• 2-1/4 cups crispy rice cereal squares
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

COOKIES

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup puppy chow (you will have leftover)

COATING

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. For the puppy chow: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and peanut butter until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add cereal and gently stir until coated.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Set aside.
4. For the cookies: Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chips and puppy chow by hand.
6. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on a plate or tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight for best results).
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
8. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are barely golden. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
10. For the coating: In a shallow bowl, place the powdered sugar, set aside.
11. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and peanut butter until smooth. Remove from heat.
12. Using a pastry brush, coat cooled cookie on all sides with the chocolate mixture, then place in the bowl with the powdered sugar, turning to coat, knocking off excess before placing on a tray. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Notes

Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Who knew candied pecans and corn cereal could be so addictive? Make this snack mix for your next gathering or else you’ll eat it all by yourself.

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I am not a snacker. Don’t get me wrong I love snacks, but I love them to the point where I am not usually able to eat just a snacks worth and will end up eating enough to constitute a meal. As such I tend to not keep snacks in the house, at least not the manufactured kind.

We have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to snack on but we will eat an entire bag or chips, etc in one sitting. As such, when I made this additive pecan praline snack mix I had to make sure people would be around to help eat it.

Next time I want to make a peanut butter version, maybe with some homemade peanut butter cheerios mixed in instead of Chex.

I whipped up this game watching, snack-worthy mix in honor of #NationalNutDay. Other bloggers getting nutty today:

•  Greek Walnut Cake (Karidopita) by Palatable Pastime
•  Pecan Brittle by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
•  Pecan encrusted pork loin by Our Good Life
•  Pistachio Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
•  Praline Crunch Snack Mix by The Spiffy Cookie

One year ago: DIY Wedding Gifts & Decor

Three years ago: Double Chocolate Chip Bagels with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

Four year ago: Pumpkin S’mores Dessert Lasagna

Five years ago: S’mores Pumpkin Pie

Six years ago: Cheddar-BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

PECAN PRALINE CRUNCH SNACK MIX

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Yield: Serves 10 Cooking Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 8 cups crispy corn and/or rice cereal (such as Chex or Crispx)
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF and lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine cereal and pecans.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon. Pour over cereal mixture and stir gently to coat evenly.
4. Spread cereal mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
5. Pour onto a large sheet of wax paper or parchment paper to cool, spreading mixture in an even layer and breaking up any large pieces. Once cool, store tightly covered at room temperature.

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Rice crispy treats are great for all occasions. Just add a little food coloring and you can make this patriotic layered version to show off your American pride.

I cannot believe that Memorial Day is nearly upon us, that my trip to Italy is behind me, and we are already late in planting our vegetable garden. Thankfully the previous owners of our home had a vegetable garden and many of the plants survived such as kale, squash (at least that’s what it looks like), oregano, mint, dill, and asparagus. We also inherited three blueberry bushes which I could not be more excited about. We just need to pick up some peppers, tomatoes, chard, basil, and rosemary and we are good to go! I had sage at our last house but I did not use it nearly enough and it turned into a literal bush. Except now after saying that I kind of want to put a sage bush next to our front steps haha. I just love being able to walk outside for vegetables and herbs, and soon blueberries too!

Picking fruit was a must all season long growing up. It helped that I grew up down the street from a U-pick farm and we even biked there sometimes, with berries strapped to the cargo rack on my dad’s bike and likely the same amount carried in our bellies. I haven’t found my go-to U-pick farm in Columbus yet but you better believe I will be picking some berries this summer. Did summer even happen if I didn’t? Probably not. What are you must-to activities for summer? I imagine grilling in the backyard is a common one and that is my segue into these rice crispy treats.

Like mini cheesecakes, I cannot stop making different types of rice crispy treats. When they are so well received, why would you stop making them? Especially then they are so simple to make and easy to transform for various events. For the upcoming Memorial weekend, one of the biggest grilling weekend of the summer (the others being July 4 and Labor Day), I thought it would be great to make them patriotic, so I divided the mixture into thirds, left 1/2 white, and dyed the other 2/3 red and blue. Layer them in a pan and viola, patriotic layered rice crispy treats.

Two years ago: Glasses Shop Review

Three years ago: Weekly Meal Plan: May 16-22

Four year ago: Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Five years ago: Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Six years ago: Strawberry Banana Granola

Seven years ago: Raw Cookie Dough Bites

PATRIOTIC LAYER RICE CRISPY TREATS

Makes 24

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 cups (10.5 oz. bag) mini marshmallows

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

6 cups puffed rice cereal, divided

Food coloring (red and blue)

2 oz. white chocolate/bark/candy coating, melted

Patriotic sprinkles

Directions:

1. Coat a 9×13-inch pan and 3 medium bowls with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In small pot over low heat melt the butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Quickly divide evenly between the greased bowls, add a few drops of red food coloring to one, blue to another, and keep one plain. Add 2 cups of cereal to each and stir until well coated.
3. Spread red mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Using buttered spatula, waxed paper, or greased hands, press mixture evenly and firmly. Repeat with white and blue layers. Drizzle top with melted chocolate and sprinkles.
4. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Source: Adapted from my LEGO Rice Crispy Treats.

Matcha tea may not be the first thing that comes to mind for St. Patrick’s Day, but the color was meant to be! Everyone loves rice crispy treats so why not add some matcha? Naturally green for the holiday!

I’m seriously slacking in the St. Patrick’s Day recipe department this year. Not to say I don’t have plenty because normally I am all over this holiday, bursting with recipe ideas every year that I unleash them immediately after Valentine’s Day. I don’t know what it is about this holiday that gets my creative juices flowing for recipe development.

Although the same thing happens for Thanksgiving. Apparently I’m not one for very traditional menus O:-).

Speaking of non-traditional, how about tea flavored rice crispy treats? Matcha is likely not even close to the first thing you think of when someone says St. Patrick’s Day but when you remember it’s green color it makes sense.

I’m not normally one to shy away from food coloring, but it is fun when a food naturally lends itself to being colorful. Granted, adding matcha green tea powder didn’t turn these rice crispy treast as green as my green tea matcha cookies, but there’s definitely a green hue about them without being off-putting. Just to be sure, I drizzled the tops with white and green chocolate candy coating.

In other news, I feel like I have not provided any recent updates on our new home. Probably because there isn’t any particular thing to talk about, just a lot of little bits of progress here and there.

I’m hoping we can get the garage organized and things that won’t be staying in there put away soon so we can actually park our cars in there before the weather improves and the biggest perk of a garage is gone. The number of days we’ve had to brush snow or scrape ice off our cars parked right outside of it…

Three years ago: Salted Caramel Double Chocolate Stout Cookies

Five years ago: St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Roundup (2014)

Six years ago: Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Pie

Seven years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Eight years ago: Apple Harvest Oatmeal

MATCHA RICE CRISPY TREATS

Makes 24

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 cups (10.5 oz. bag) mini marshmallows

2 tsp powdered matcha green tea

6 cups puffed rice cereal

2 oz. white chocolate/bark/candy coating, melted

2 oz. green candy coating, melted

Directions:

1. Coat a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In large pot over low heat melt the butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the matcha. Add cereal and stir until well coated.
3. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Using buttered spatula, waxed paper, or greased hands, press mixture evenly.
4. While the bars are cooling, melt the chocolates.
5. Drizzle over cooled treats and repeat with green chocolate. Allow to solidify before cutting into squares.

Source: Adapted from my Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats.

Rice crispy treats are one thing that everyone loves. Seriously, I can’think of anyone who would turn one down barring being on a diet. So it came as no surprise that after the lego crispy treats I made for my nephew Luke’s 5th birthday last year, I was called upon to make another crispy treat this year. This time however, the inspiration results in something that’s almost a April Fool’s Day joke – sushi made from rice crispy treats, fruit rolls ups, and gummy worms! I also made sashimi with Swedish fish and little strips of fruit roll up. They were to fit the theme of his party which was held at his Karate class. P.S. When did fruit roll ups stop imprinting cut-out shapes into the sheet and opting for printed on images instead? Super lame.

It’s fairly simple really, make a batch of rice crispy treats but make them thinner by spreading into a sheet pan with edges. After that, it’s a similar concept to my cinnamon roll crispy treats but instead of a cinnamon swirl it’s wrapped around a fruit roll up and gummy worms! As if rice crispy treats weren’t sweet enough right? Funny fact, when grocery shopping for this adventure I had no idea how much of the gummy ingredients I would need so I bought 40 roll ups and 6 smallish bags of gummy worms. I only used 12 roll ups and 16 worms. Can you say overkill? The closest estimate I made was buying two bags of Swedish fish for the sashimi when I only needed one.

What happened with all the excess “ingredients”? Well, when you are shipping a box of rice crispy treats to California in a flat rate box you stuff as much as possible into that thing. Yup, they were all shipped off to California! Well, almost all because Bob pretty much demanded we keep a few. And I did steal a two sashimi to give to a friend for her birthday because she, like me, is still a kid at heart and I figured she’d enjoy them as well.

I’d like to point out that these were so popular with the birthday boy (and his little brother, and their friends) that during the “Happy Birthday” video shared online you can see him paying more attention to the sashimi just within reach than the cupcake in front of him. #AuntErinFTW!

Luke’s 6th Birthday

Younger brother Griffin showing that Swedish fish who’s boss

Three years ago: Monster Cookies

Four years ago: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Five years ago: Cake Batter Cinnamon Rolls

Six years ago: Dark Chocolate Nonpareil Peanut Butter Cookies

RICE CRISPY SUSHI & SASHIMI

Makes 39 sushi and 40 sashimi

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

8 cups (two 10.5 oz. bags) mini marshmallows, divided

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

12 cups puffed rice cereal, divided

8 whole, unrolled fruit roll ups

18 gummy worms (makes 3 rolls, 6 gummmies in each)

4 whole fruit roll ups, cut into seven 1/2-inch rolls, unrolled then cut in half again

40 Swedish fish

Directions:

1. For the sushi: Coat a 13×18-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add one bag of marshmallows and 1 teaspoon of vanilla stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Fold in 6 cups of the cereal until well combined and coated. Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Allow to cool completely.
3. Slice into 3 rectangles (6×13-inches). Place 2-1/2 unrolled fruit roll ups side by side up across the top of one of the rectangles, leaving a small bar section on the bottom-long edge. Place 6 gummy worms, two at a time side by side, on top of the fruit roll ups.
4. Starting at the gummy worms, gently roll the entire piece until it comes to the end and gently seal the rice crispies together. Roll the entire roll along your work surface to smooth it out. Using a serrated knife cut the roll into 1-inch thick pieces. Repeat with remaining two rectangles.
5. For the sashimi: Coat a 9×13-inch dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
6. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter over low heat. Add the remaining marshmallows and vanilla stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Fold in the cereal until well combined and coated. Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Allow to cool completely.
7. Keeping them in the pan, cut the rice krispies into small rectangles just barely larger than the large swedish fish (about 1×2 inches).
8. Cut a wrapped fruit roll up into seven 1/2 inch strips and then un-roll, removing the wrapper. Cut each strip into half, resulting in 14 strips. Using one half, stretch it over the fish, sealing it on both sides. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
9. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container.

Source: Adapted slightly from Thyme In Our Kitchen.