Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats - 2 Different Versions

Hello,

Over the last week I've made one of my favorite childhood holiday treats which are Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats. I had two different recipes that I used. One of which is the recipe my mom used and which I preferred. Now, I have stockpiled several boxes of Cheerios lately so that's what I used instead of Rice Krispies. No need to spend more money when I had a cereal that would work just as good. Here's the website for the first recipe I tried:  http://justjennrecipes.com/peanut-butter-cheerios-treats/2012/06/10/

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats:

Ingredients:

• 6 cups peanut butter cheerios - I used just plain multi-grain cheerios
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter - I doubled this amount and used honey roast creamy Peter Pan. I betrayed my beloved Jif but sadly I had to go with the couponed peanut butter. I really think any peanut butter you have will work
• 10 oz marshmallows - my bag was exactly 10 oz so it worked out great. I think any sized marshmallows will do but I think the mini ones work best
• 1 cup chocolate chips - any kind will do. I used mini semi-sweet ones. I didn't measure mine and just sprinkled them on top when it was done

Prepare a 9x13 pan with cooking spray or parchment paper. You can use a smaller pan but your treats will be thicker. Then in a medium to large pot melt your butter and peanut butter over medium high heat. Then add your marshmallows until melted. At this point you will need to add your cheerios to your pot. It became difficult for me to stir the mixture at this point so you'll want to get the cheerios covered as quickly as possible. Once the cheerios are covered, pour the mixture into your pan and spread it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle your chocolate chips over the treats. Let the treats cool before cutting. I enjoyed these but not nearly as much as I enjoyed the next recipe. This recipe is better for people who prefer old school marshmallow rice krispie treats to the peanut butter variety. Sometimes though it just comes down to what ingredients you have on hand.

Here's what the final product looked like:

 So here is the second recipe I tried and I greatly prefer it:  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,131185-250199,00.html

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white Karo syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter - I used the Kroger brand honey roasted creamy. Again I think any peanut butter will do
• 5 cups Rice Krispies - Again I used the multi-grain Cheerios and I thought they worked great

Prep your 9x13 pan with cooking spray or parchment paper. In your medium to large pot bring the Karo syrup and sugar to a boil over medium high heat. Add the peanut butter until well combined and remove from heat. Add the cheerios and mix well. Pour the mixture into your pan and smooth. Sprinkle chocolate chips if you desire. I did mine half and half. Let cool before cutting. And fyi these are more difficult to cut than the marshmallow ones but still delicious!

I preferred this version to the marshmallow one because it had much more peanut butter flavor. If you try both recipes I would love to hear about which one you thought turned out better. I hope you enjoy these treats and happy cooking, crockpotting, and couponing!