When is the last time that you had a decadent, chewy puffed wheat square?
I just did, this afternoon, for the first time in years – oh yes, years – while making them for my son’s Junior High Valentine’s Dance while weeping tears over the fact that my son was old enough to start going to real dances. Now, true to the form of young boys, he went briefly to check it out and he and his friends peaced out early.
I love cereal bars, as you can tell from my Fruity Pebbles treats, and my M&M cereal bars. I love to make them for school lunches and snacks.
My words, not his. Peaced out is my generation. I still stay that I peace out. What do these young ‘uns these days say? Do I even want to know?
What I do know is that it’s bittersweet making my own children my favorite treat from my childhood. Puffed wheat square, for those of you that haven’t had them – and according to my Facebook page there ARE a few of you, though I can hardly believe it – are pretty much like the Sugar Crisp cereal in a bar, with more chocolate and in my version, some marshmallows.
I know. Sacrilege.
When I went to make the squares today, Mike looked at me and said incredulously ” You seriously have never made puffed wheat squares the entire time your website has been up?”
It’s true. I haven’t made these in ages. This website has been up since 2009 and I can’t believe that this is the first time I am getting these to you.
I really do hate dried-out puffed wheat squares and while I am ok with using some corn syrup, most recipes call for a full cup. That my friends, is a super duper lot of corn syrup. I decided that my squares were going to be half and half, the best of all worlds. My puffed wheat squares would be a little more chewy like Rice Krispies and less crunchy than normal. If you really want, you can add 2 cups of marshmallows and make these babies extra awesomely chewy.
If you want the traditional taste of chocolate puffed wheat squares, then use 1 cup of corn syrup and omit the marshmallows. I have to admit, they are always a bit too dry for me with all the corn syrup. I am picky. Maybe this is why I haven’t eaten them in years?
It’s most likely because, like some of you, I have simply forgotten and Chocolate Puffed Wheat Squares have fallen out of my rotation. They shouldn’t have. They take mere minutes, are nut free, and are so easy to make, and to be honest, with my addition of marshmallows I am loving these as much – or maybe a little more- than Rice Krispie squares.
These won’t be falling out of rotation anytime soon.
Happy baking everyone!
Love you more than chocolate,
Karlynn
Chewy Chocolate Puffed Wheat Squares Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons . cocoa powder
- 1-2 cups of miniature marshmallows more marshmallows = chewier
- 1 teaspoon . vanilla
- 10 cups of puffed wheat
Instructions
- Place the puffed wheat in a very large bowl (I used my huge tupperware bowl)
- Combine butter, corn syrup, sugars and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Let boil for two minutes then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and marshmallows until the marshmallows are melted in completely.
- Pour over puffed wheat and mix well.
- Press firmly into a 9 x 13 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes then cut into squares.
Lori says
I used honey in place of corn syrup I also only used 8 cups of puffed wheat, and I added the 2 cups of marshmallows, which made it nice and chewy. I reversed the amounts on the sugar using 1 cup of brown sugar and a 1/4 cup of white sugar. They turned out delicious chewy gooey good.
Katherine Warlund says
Excellent tips
Mary Ann says
Mmmmmm…..add raisins – that’s how my mom made it! I like to make a few batches and after cutting into managable pieces, placing in ziplock bags and putting them in the freezer – one mess and many enjoyable treats!
Patti says
I replaced PB with half the butter…also going to freeze some for future lunch
Tina Finks says
Hmmm – I love Puff wheat squares and grew up on them. For something so easy – they are tricky. Tried this receipt as outlined and they came out hard as rock once they cooled. Tried a second time with tweeks and remained soft and chewy. I do thank you for the outline of the receipt and get me started in the right direction.
Here are my changes:
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup)
1 cup brown sugar
3 heaping tbsp . cocoa powder
3 cups of miniature marshmallows
1 tablespoon vanilla
8 Cups of Kamut Puffs
My Instructions:
Combine butter, corn syrup, sugars and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan at very low heat until melted and combined – constant stir.
As soon it is melted and combined turn heat off and incorporate marshmallows and vanilla.
Put 8 cups of puffed wheat into the pot mixture and incorporate well.
Press firmly into a 9 x 13 pan lined with parchment paper.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes then cut into squares.
This is what worked best for me.
Judee says
I made two batches one with 10 cups and a be with 8 cups and the latter turned out better. I did not change anything else and they turned owned very chewy
Cori says
I’ve never used white sugar. But I’m def trying your recipe with the marshmallows! My last batch was so crispy, I threw it out ?
I’d rather burn my house down than clean it…..??
Thanks for the giggle ?
Jennifer McCurry says
These type of recipes can have different results based on things like altitude, humidity, etc. For best results making any kind of “candy” based recipe, use a candy thermometer. The “chewiness” of the candy base is based on temperature. Use a candy thermometer to your liking. The candy thermometer will be labeled with several descriptions at different temperatures, or you can look up a table online. Soft crack or Hard crack will deliver a quite crunchy result. Soft ball to Hard ball will be softer and chewier. Obviously, the more toward soft ball, the chewier the bar, the more toward hard crack, the more brittle the bar will be.
Jeannine says
Thank you so much. I’ve always had the feeling in many of my desserts that something was missing in the instructions.😊
Elaine says
Tina Flinks,
I made your recipe because I wanted to try it with marshmallows but prefer using brown sugar over white sugar.
And.l you might have a giggle at this but I tweaked your recipe. So, it’s a tweaked tweaked recipe 🙂
I doubled the cocoa because I like it more chocolatey and I used unsalted butter and added a little salt to the mixture and sprinkled salt over the bottom of the greased pan cause I like the little bits of salt on the bottom of my square.
I didn’t bring it to a boil for longer than 5 seconds but just let bubbles form on top so the sugar granulation was melted. (So it wouldn’t be hard because I like them soft and chewy. )
Plus I used puffed wheat instead of kamut flakes becaise I had puffed wheat and I had to increase the puffs because it was way too gooey for me, even though I like my squares on the gooey side.
The result:
Out of 5 stars I’d give it a 10 stars if I could.
It was the perfect flavor that I go for.
Thanks for hijacking the recipe.
🙂
Aimee Miller says
One of my favourite things!!
Donita Houghton says
We always have to bring bags south!! Same with Hawkins cheezie!!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Really!!! Oh my poor American friends that can’t eat this!! \U0001f62d\U0001f633
Sieg Schewe says
Yes,but can’t find any puffed wheat in Arizonz
The Kitchen Magpie says
Hmmm. My mom and dad are there in the winter I could ask if they’ve ever found it…..seems weird that you can’t find it…
Kristy Young says
I’m totally trying this recipe, I made these using a different recipe on NYE and they were CRUNCHY…..I was so mad
The Kitchen Magpie says
UGH I hate them crunchy! Under cook the sauce, for sure, it’s the best way to make sure. The marshmallows helps but man some recipes have you turn it into candy!
Lee Boyle says
I find the best way to keep them from getting hard is to “not” let it boil at all. Just heat it enough that all the sugar is melted and not grainy anymore, just nice and creamy 🙂
Cassidy Dowd says
Thank you so much for the ultimate Puffed Wheat Cake recipe! I usually fail at making this, but not this time with adding the marshmallows! The hubby will be amazed \U0001f60d
The Kitchen Magpie says
Ooh those look great!!! \U0001f60d
Chris Heckman says
luving that pyrex bowl, haven’t seen that pattern
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s a Hazel Atlas bowl, one of my other glass obsessions!
Chris Heckman says
thank u for the correction. i do luv hazel atlas also. fire king also.
Joy Leeb says
Made these a few weeks ago when it was too hot to bake. The marshmallows are a great addition.
Kristin Kohl says
Mine are soft and chewy with the full cup of corn syrup, but the trick is to just barely bring the mixture to a boil then immediately remove and stir up. If one boils it even for thirty seconds by accident, one gets hard crunchy bricks. 😉
The Kitchen Magpie says
yes! You can turn it into hard candy in a second!
Crystal Carlson says
They are the best! Made them for camping last week
KelsieKelly says
I’ve made these about half a dozen times now! My family can’t get enough!
Andrea Kay Clark says
Served in “patty tin” papers even better mmmmmm
Heather Pollock says
Made a pan last week! Chocolate in any form is yummy\U0001f497
Orest Yuzda says
Yum. My favourite. Okay. One of my favourites. \U0001f603
Kimberly J. Stonehouse says
After school tomorrow will have to make some
Cori says
I’ve never used white sugar. But I’m def trying your recipe with the marshmallows! My last batch was so crispy, I threw it out ?
I’d rather burn my house down than clean it…..??
Thanks for the giggle ?
JenniferTrudeau says
Oh my goodness!!! Ok I was actually craving Rice Krispie squares but didn’t have enough to make a full batch and I remembered seeing this recipe online and had a crazy idea. So I mixed half Rice Krispies and half puffed wheat and followed the rest of the recipe. Again I say, Oh my goodness! It was a crazy, chewy, crunchy, chocolatey, sweet mixture that we can’t get enough of. This is an amazing recipe. We’ve never had puffed wheat squares with marshmallows before. Brilliant!! This is a keeper.
Connie Peters says
Nummmmmmy, nummmmmmy sure do.
Sylvia Park says
To funny, how many trays could I eat?