Description
Mexican chocolate no-bake clusters offer a delightful blend of rich cocoa and cinnamon. Sweet morsels combine crisp rice, melted chocolate, and warm spices for a quick family treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (340 g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup (128 g) creamy peanut butter (optional, can substitute with sunflower butter)
- 2 cups (50 g) crispy rice or cornflake cereal
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped pretzels or nuts (optional)
- 1 cup (50 g) mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Melt Chocolate: Utilize a microwave-safe bowl to gently liquefy chocolate chips, stirring intermittently to achieve a silky, uniform texture without scorching.
- Create Binding Mixture: Integrate peanut butter into the molten chocolate, whisking until the combination transforms into a lustrous, homogeneous blend.
- Construct Base Layer: In a capacious mixing vessel, amalgamate cereal, mini marshmallows, and pretzels, establishing a crisp foundational mixture.
- Combine and Coat: Cascade the chocolate-peanut butter elixir over the dry ingredients, meticulously folding with a spatula to ensure comprehensive and even coverage.
- Prepare Workspace: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, creating an optimal surface for cluster formation and preventing unwanted adhesion.
- Shape Clusters: Employ a cookie scoop or spoon to methodically portion and deposit the mixture, crafting consistent, symmetrical morsels.
- Set and Solidify: Relocate the baking sheet to the refrigerator, allowing clusters to firm up and stabilize for approximately 25 minutes.
- Serve and Store: Extract clusters from the refrigerator, serving immediately or preserving in an airtight container at room temperature for a softer consistency, or chilled for enhanced crunch.
Notes
- Choose Quality Chocolate: Select high-quality chocolate chips that melt smoothly and provide rich flavor, avoiding low-grade varieties that might separate or become grainy.
- Watch Chocolate Melting: Microwave chocolate in 15-second intervals, stirring carefully to prevent burning and ensure a glossy, even texture throughout the mixture.
- Customize Mix-Ins: Swap pretzels or marshmallows with alternatives like crushed graham crackers, dried fruit, or nuts to create personalized flavor combinations and accommodate dietary preferences.
- Temperature Control: Chill clusters precisely 20-25 minutes for optimal texture – too short leaves them soft, while over-chilling can make them too hard and less enjoyable for kids.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 132
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg