Guest Post *Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats*

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I'm always on the lookout for some yummy, festive treats for my kids and their teachers.  But with our dietary restrictions (a daughter who needs gluten-free and dairy-free options), it gets kind of tricky to say the least.

Well my fabulous, long-time friend, Leia from Eat It & Say Yum, came up with this amazing recipe that my daughter will actually be able to enjoy!  HALLELUJAH!!!

Make sure to check out Leia's amazing blog!  She has awesome recipes and her blog is absolutely beautiful.  I know you'll love it.  I sure do!

I'll add my minor adjustments to these Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats to make them dairy-free as well at the bottom of this post.  But for now, I'll turn the time over to the wonderful Leia...

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Hey there!  My name is Leia, and I blog over at Eat It & Say Yum. I am so excited to be doing a guest post here at All Things Delicious. Hannah and I have been friends for years.  It’s fun to see all the amazing things she does here on her blog.  She is so talented!

Today I am bringing you a sweet treat just in time for Valentine’s Day. My family has been loving these Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats this past week.  And I bet your family will love them as well!  As always the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is amazing!  Plus the Valentine’s M&M’s and sprinkles make them festive, and easy to adapt to any holiday. 

You can whip these up in a matter of minutes, so if you need something quick, this is it!  Just don’t over cook the marshmallows, and the treats will stay soft and chewy.  The marshmallows should be melted just enough to stay creamy, not runny. 

I love this Sally’s Cocoa Crackles cereal I got from Costco.  They stay crunchy even after being mixed with the marshmallows.  It’s so good.  Also, they are gluten-free!  Any brand of cocoa crispy cereal will work, I just love this kind. 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy these treats, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

46 large marshmallows

7 cups Cocoa Crispy Cereal (I recommend Sally’s Cocoa Crackles)

3 Tbs butter- cut into pieces

1 cup M&M’s

1 Tbs Sprinkles- optional

Directions:

1.        Grease a 9x13 pan, set aside.  In a large microwave safe bowl, heat the marshmallows, peanut butter, and butter for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave again for 20-30 seconds.  Do not cook too long.  The marshmallows should still be creamy, not liquidy. 

2.       Add the cocoa crispy cereal to the marshmallow peanut butter mixture and stir carefully.  You don’t want to crush all the cereal.  When almost fully mixed, add the M&M’s, and slowly add the sprinkles as you stir.  Scrape everything into the greased pan, and use a greased spatula to press the cereal into the pan.  Allow to cool.  

**To make dairy-free, use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and instead of M&M's, use larger heart-shaped or confetti sprinkles.