Most people would agree that Rice Krispies don’t have a lot of flavour on their own. That’s why we load them up with sugar for breakfast, right? They are especially great in Rice Krispie marshmallow squares — you can booze them up with various liqueurs or add peanut butter cups, sea salt or caramels to jazz them up — but they can add snap, crackle and pop to much more with these five ideas.
Granola
Swap out some or all of the oats for Rice Krispies when you are making granola. Simply mix them with some nuts, seeds or even shredded coconut, toss the mixture with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and maple syrup to taste, spice it up with some cinnamon and bake until toasted and golden. Once the granola has cooled, feel free to add in dried fruit or chocolate chips. It sounds like a better breakfast than Rice Krispies with milk, doesn’t it?
Brittle
With this nut-free option, nut allergy sufferers can have brittles, too. Make caramel by cooking sugar with a splash of water over high heat, until it reaches a dark, amber colour. Remove it from the heat, add a pinch of baking soda (this will lighten up the mixture), mix in the Rice Krispies and pour it on a greased and cookie sheet to cool. Break the sheet into small pieces (hence, the name) to eat as is or use to garnish desserts or salads.
Energy bites
Similar to granola, energy bites or bars can be made with Rice Krispies instead of oats for a no-bake recipe. It’s as simple as mixing Rice Krispies with nuts, dried fruits and chocolate chips and binding the mixture with just enough peanut butter. Roll the mixture into bites and you are ready to snack. You could even dip them in melted chocolate and roll them in more Rice Krispies, so they're almost like truffles.
Pie or tart crust
Pie crusts, graham cracker crusts, you name it; they can all have Rice Krispies added into them to give them a different texture. Do not use Rice Krispies on their own, as the crust would not hold together. However, you can mix them in with the flour or ground cookie crumbs in the recipe. How about putting them in traditional Nanaimo bars? Give it a try!
Breading or crumb topping
Let's go above and beyond the breaded chicken fingers recipe on the Rice Krispies box and use the cereal in place of panko crumbs to top a casserole like mac 'n’ cheese. Or, you can toast Rice Krispies with butter and herbs to make a crumb topping for salads. Really, Rice Krispies can be used in place of bread crumbs in virtually any recipe, even for veggie burgers.
