Special-K bars are one of my favorite desserts to enjoy year round. My Aunt Nicole makes the best Special-K bars and brings them to family gatherings (if we're lucky), so I had never tried to replicate them until a week ago when my nanny kids wanted to bake them. The kids bake or cook something almost every day! I absolutely love how much the kids like to be involved in the kitchen...except when it comes to the mess they make ;) This recipe is a basic Special-K bar recipe except I substituted agave nectar for the corn syrup for those of you who like to avoid corn syrup. You might take a look at the ingredients and disregard the recipe because it seems like a lot of sugar, but come on people...everything in moderation!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup agave nectar
-1 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 6 cups Special-K cereal
- 2/3 cups chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
How to make it
For the Special-K base:
- combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup agave nectar in a medium sauce pan, heat until it comes to a boil, let it boil for about 20 seconds
- add 1 1/2 cups peanut butter to the sugar and agave mixture and stir until peanut butter is melted down and incorporated into mixture
- pour sugar/pb mixture on top of 6 cups of Special-K cereal and mix until cereal is coated
- pour mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan
For the topping:
- melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup butterscotch chips in the microwave for 1.5 mins (or until completely melted) taking out every 30 seconds to stir
- pour chocolate/butterscotch topping on top of Special-K mixture and spread it until mixture is evenly coated with topping
- let bars cool in the fridge for an hour to allow the topping to harden
Finished product
For next time...
I want to experiment on ways to cut down the amount of sugar in this treat. Additionally, I think it could be fun to incorporate other ingredients in such as adding oats into the Special K cereal mixture. Also I am curious how a substitution of almond butter for the peanut butter would turn out. Stay tuned...I might just have to try these ideas out and get back to you!
Variations
When I first made this recipe with my nanny kids, they didn't have any chocolate chips, so one of the kids (being the innovative and smart baker she is) suggested using Hershey's syrup in place of the chocolate chips. At first I was hesitant because I'm not a huge fan of Hershey's syrup, but it turned out great and the topping was a bit thinner for those of you who prefer less chocolate. The original recipe for these special K bars uses corn syrup instead of the agave syrup, which works great.
All in all
Special K bars are a treat I love to enjoy year round. They're a great option in the summer when you want to avoid turning on your oven but are still craving a sweet treat other than ice cream. The recipe is easy to make and you can whip them up in no time--just leave time for the chocolate & butterscotch to harden on top!
