Nutella Graham Cracker Krispie Bars

Crunchy, sweet and a little salty…these bars will definitely win you over!  They are absolutely a crowd pleaser, and…BONUS, they’re a no bake recipe.  It is difficult to eat only one of these…there is something soo yummy and addictive about the combination of graham crackers and Nutella!

Hey guys!  I’m back with a second Valentine’s Day dessert idea.  It can be hard to know what to get your special someone on this day, but chocolate or a tasty dessert is an exceptional way to let someone know you love them :).

I was in the kitchen a couple of week ago trying to create a gelatin free rice krispie treat.  My trials tasted great, but they did not hold together well.  I kept trying other ingredients, and had some success with brown rice syrup, but still not getting the taste I was looking for.  I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing, or the flavor I wanted…just knew I hand’t found it yet :).

I then got to thinking…how can I make rice krispies more exciting?? I instantly thought about Valentine’s Day and my graham cracker Nutella truffles I love so much.  I thought why not throw some graham cracker crumbs and Nutella into a rice krispie treat?!  I wanted the bar to have a little more flavor and density than a standard rice krispie treat…a bar you could really bite into!  I am happy to say I feel this bar is a true winner, and one your Valentine(s) will truly enjoy.

I know you can buy rice krispies, or chocolate covered versions at the store, but I always prefer to make my own.   This way I ensure there are no additives/chemicals/preservatives and can control the amount of sugar, what type of sugar, type of fat, etc.  It makes me enjoy the dessert that much more, and also makes me feel great about serving them to friends and family.

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Resting Time 60-90 Minutes
Total Time 2 Hours
Servings 16 Squares

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups Rice Krispie cereal
• 3/4 cup Chex cereal, crushed (corn or rice)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut*
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 13 ounce jar Nutella (entire jar ~ 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably grass-fed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup chopped chocolate of choice
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, solid state
• yogurt covered cranberries, chopped (garnish)

Instructions

1. Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with baking spray*.  Line with a strip of parchment paper almost as wide as the pan.  Make sure to make the strip long enough to leave overhang. Set aside.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, Rice Krispies, Chex, coconut and salt in a large bowl. Set aside
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan on stove-top on low heat. Add Nutella and honey.  Stir wet mixture continuously to combine until it is heated through and reached pour-able consistency.
4. Take pan off heat and stir in vanilla extract.
5. Pour the Nutella mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients.  Combine by folding all together with a spatula.  This will take a minute or two.
6. Once well combined, transfer bar mix to your prepared pan.  Use a piece of wax or parchment paper to begin pressing the mixture into the pan.  Work your way around the pan, I recommend going over it twice, until you have a flat/even surface and the mixture feels compact.  Don’t be afraid to be a little firm in your pushing.
7. Set pan aside to rest for 60-90 minutes.
8. Melt 2/3 cup chopped chocolate and coconut oil together over the stove top or in microwave.  If using microwave, do so in 20-30 second intervals on 8 power.  Once melted, pour chocolate over the top of the set bar mixture.  Spread chocolate with a small spatula until the surface is evenly covered.
9. Chop cranberries, or any garnish of choice, and sprinkle over melted chocolate.  You may use roasted and salted nuts, honey roasted peanuts, crushed pretzels, crushed graham crackers, coconut, other dried fruit, etc. Whatever you are feeling will work :).  I pushed my toppings lightly into the chocolate mixture to help them stick during drying.
10. Allow bars to sit for another 30-60 minutes.  You can speed up the process by chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes.  It’s hard to wait!
11. When the top layer of chocolate is hardened run a sharp knife gently around the two edges not protected by parchment paper to loosen from pan.  Lift the bar mixture out via the parchment overhangs.  Transfer to a counter-top or cutting board, and cut into 4 equal strips vertically and horizontally.  This will create 16 squares, but feel free to cut to your size preference.

Recipe Notes

•These bars are fairly thick, but did so intentionally.  The 8×8 pan will make the bars a little taller, but are still nice and thick in a 9×9 pan.
• You may use sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut, your preference.
•I prefer to not use chocolate chips when melting.  A Baker’s bar or other melting wafers work better.  If you only have chips no worries!  If they are not melting well add more coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you reach a pour-able consistency.