I bookmarked these decadent treats awhile back knowing that I would make them for James to take to work when it was his turn to provide a snack. I made the mistake of printing the recipe out weeks before I needed to use. It just sat there, taunting me with its delicious list of ingredients. But I stayed strong and held out for the right time. 🙂
These bars are outrageous. With the combination of peanut butter and chocolate alone, that’s a huge crowd-pleaser, but then add it marshmallows, brownies, and crisp rice cereal? Win. These are not for the faint of heart – they are rich and sweet but so good and gooey. The crunch from the cereal, the soft marshmallows, and chewy brownies all come together to make a very yummy bar. I really wanted to keep the whole pan at home for ourselves but again, I did the right thing and sent (most of) them with James.
Brownie & Marshmallow Crunch Bars
Ingredients:
For the Brownie Base:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 2/3 cup unsalted
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Toppings:
- 1 bag (10½ ounces) miniature marshmallows
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. For the brownies: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter, & 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture and mix well. Add in the dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.
6. Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over the top. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.
7. Meanwhile place the milk chocolate chips, peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Stir constantly until completely melted then remove from heat. Add the crisp rice cereal and mix well. Allow cooling for 3 minutes.
8. Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer and refrigerate until chilled before cutting. (These can be eaten cold or at room temperature. We preferred them at room temperature.)
